Naruto: Moeagare Toushi
by Nitramy
Summary: LOOK! THE EAST IS BURNING RED! Warning: OOC, powerful but humble Naruto, pseudo-crack, minor crossovers from other universes.
1. Sunrise

_disclaimer:_ Naruto is not mine.

This is something I decided to write on a lark as I untangle the story threads of my Naruto/Nanoha crossover fic.

_warning:_ OOC (due to his changed upbringing) and bordering on uber-Naruto (but he'll remain humble) inside. There may be a little bashing and out-of-canon moments, and it may be crack, but I'll try to make it coherent crack.

You'll have an inkling as to who the Master is when you read the title, and be absolutely sure who it is when you read the last sentence. Enjoy.

* * *

**_Naruto: Moeagare Toushi_**

**Chapter One: Sunrise**

**

* * *

**"You have done well, child."

They were the words his Master had said before he handed him a headband. A headband with a metal protector on it, the front carved with several curved lines, forming a whirpool.

"That is a part of your family's legacy. Now that you have finished training under this school and myself, you are now fit to reclaim the rest of it."

"B-b-but Master, where do I begin?"

"Your journey's first stop will be Konohagakure - your birthplace. Farewell!"

With a wave of his hand, he was gone, galloping into the horizon on his faithful steed. Just like that.

He had remembered his Master's first appearance, wandering into a festival on a white horse.

He remembered the anger of the townsfolk, and their fear upon seeing the slightest glimpse of the man's fearsome power.

Before he knew it, he was taking the same journey as this man, walking his path and learning from him.

And now, he had made it - they were now theoretically equals. This didn't enlarge his ego, though, because the boy knew that he had a long way to in terms of actual fighting experience to keep up with his Master.

He smiled, wiped a tear or two from his cheek with a sleeve, picked up his bag, and decided to start his own journey from that point on.

* * *

After several weeks of travel, he had finally arrived: there they were - the gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Konohagakure.

After eight years of apprenticeship, he had been deemed by his esteemed Master to return home, his training completed. While he might not have borne the mark that was the incontrovertible proof of his mastery, he did not need to, as there was one within him that had known - and respected - the journey taken to reach this point.

The boy smiled as he remembered the victories and defeats, the trials and tribulations, and the lessons about life, the universe and everything in between that he learned from his Master. It was several days after his twelfth birthday that he finally achieved the heretofore impossible: the Succession Technique of his esteemed Master's school.

Walking with a calm, graceful gait towards the entrance, he whistled a long-forgotten melody about battle, preparation, and victory.

After what he had been through, he felt confident that he would be well-prepared for any and every surprise in the future. Why not, because he was, after all, trained by the best.

* * *

The two Chunin at the gates didn't quite understand what to make of the boy about to enter the village.

He looked about the age of a newbie genin, but carried himself with a calm confidence they only saw in those of higher rank. His outfit was also a strange mix of styles: a worn ninja vest over a gray shirt, an orange sash tied at the waist, dark purple silk pants, and kung-fu shoes. Strangest of all was that he was wearing the forehead protector of the Village Hidden in the Whirpool, a hidden village that was thought to have been wiped off the map in a prior Ninja World War when opposing villages unleashing forces of nature were part and parcel of ninja combat.

"Name and business here in Konoha?" one of the Chunin asked.

"I come to meet with the Third Hokage. My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

When Naruto had been ushered into the Third Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen at first did not know what to say about the boy - no, young man - standing before him.

The incident during Naruto's fourth birthday had shown that even after several years, fear and hatred still reigned among the populace.

What was worse was that someone had actually organized a surgical strike against the boy - creating a diversion for the ANBU guarding him to leave his side, and then take that opportunity to attack.

They would have succeeded, if not for a traveling martial artist seeing them - and blowing all of the boy's assailants away in a single move.

The master had thus volunteered to take custody of the boy for seven to ten years, by which he would teach the young Uzumaki Naruto how to defend himself, should he run into the same situation once more.

And now, the very same Uzumaki Naruto walked into the door of his office, changed by his travels with this unknown master of the fighting arts.

"Hokage-sama," Naruto began, bowing respectfully to the leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Naruto-kun. It has been so long."

"Eight years and two weeks, to be precise, Hokage-sama."

"How have you been?"

"Pretty good so far, sir," Naruto replied, smiling. "My Master had said that I had exceeded his expectations, which is why I have come here a full year earlier than we both had expected."

"And you wear the forehead protector of Whirpool?"

"I wear it in my Mother's memory. My Master had given it to me when I had finished my studies with him."

"That is plausible," Sarutobi answered. "Now that you have returned to Konoha, I'm at a loss to what your intentions are."

"My Master was given secrets about me that even now I am not privileged to - I shall offer Konoha whatever I can in exchange for that information."

"Very well," the Hokage answered. "Do you have any plans of attending the Ninja Academy?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama," Naruto answered. "Training with my Master only focused on what you call taijutsu. Some of our more... esoteric feats can be classified as ninjutsu or genjutsu as well, but my Master had insisted I learn all about being a ninja. After all, 'the horizon of the East is infinite'."

"Hmm," the Hokage said, taking a puff on his tobacco pipe, "the Academy's class in your age group will take their graduation examination in six weeks. Do you think that would be enough time for you to catch up?"

"I'll do what I can, Hokage-sama. After all, a genin who knows only Taijutsu serves under you, does he not?"

"Well put, Naruto-kun... well-put. And as to that protector of yours..."

"Oh," Naruto replied, untying the band's knot and returning it to a vest pocket. "It seems I can only wear it when I have passed the Academy here, Hokage-sama. I apologize if it seemed impertinent."

"No, no need to apologize, Naruto-kun. I have had a unit in an apartment building downtown reserved for your arrival. It's not that opulent, but..."

"You've done more than you think, Hokage-sama. This is more than enough for my return," Naruto said, bowing low in thanks.

"You can pay it back by doing your best in your studies and your ninja career."

"I shall, and I give you much thanks," Naruto said, standing up straight and bowing once more before turning to leave.

"You forgot your keys, Naruto-kun."

"Oh! My mistake," Naruto answered, going over to the Hokage and respectfully bowing after being handed over the keys to his new home in Konoha.

"I shall head to the Academy first thing tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I shall take a tour of town, Hokage-sama."

"All right."

And as the boy bowed again before leaving (and closing the door behind him, to boot!) the Third Hokage smiled. _I'm sure he can look after himself... after all, it is truly rare for someone with such a heroic legacy as Naruto to be trained by someone like the Undefeated of the East..._

Chapter 1 - **END**

_afterword_: And there you have it, the start of a Naruto-trained-by-Master-Asia fic. Yeah, he'll be absurdly broken, but not to current-manga-Sasuke-levels. Think of a much more soft-spoken Domon Kasshu, that's how Naruto will be portrayed.

And "Moeagare Toushi" comes from the title of the G-Gundam BGM whenever Shining Gundam goes into Super Mode: "Moeagare Toushi: Ima wa Shiki Shukumei wo Koete". A rough translation would be "Overcome Destiny with Burning Fighting Spirit".

(No, as of right now, I don't intend for Master Asia to appear in this fic, except during flashbacks. The guy could take on the Narutoverse by himself and win by a landslide.)

p.s. Mobile Fighter G-Gundam isn't mine as well.


	2. A New Day Dawning

_disclaimer:_ Naruto and G-Gundam aren't mine. Yeah, it's a tragedy.

_All you are, now I'm on the next page._  
_All you are, it's time to close the book up._  
_All you are, now I'm on the next page._  
_All you are, close the book up now._  
- The Deftones, "Back to School (Mini Maggit)"

So here's chapter two, featuring the first day of our demon-fox container turned apprentice of the Undefeated of the East. No word as of yet if he'll promise to conquer the North, South, West and East to become Super Asia and overshadow his Master.

By the way_:  
Statement in italics _- thought  
_**Statement in boldface + italics **_- Kyuubi thought/speaking to Naruto

_**Naruto: Moeagare Toushi**_

**Chapter 2: A New Day Dawning**

"You must understand, child, the first rule about subtlety. Make people see what you want them to see."

Uzumaki Naruto smiled as he tied his Whirpool forehead protector back on his forehead as he walked out of the Hokage's Tower and into town.

Several of the townsfolk had been surprised to see his blond hair, blue eyes, and whisker-like markings... but it had been the hitai-ate that had drawn most of their attention.

His smile widened until it almost shut his eyes. They might bother a ninja of Konoha, but not a visiting genin from Whirpool. _People these days really don't have much common sense. Is this a ninja village?_

He shrugged. _Well, Konoha IS the most prosperous village of them all, so it is to be expected for the villagers to grow complacent._

_Hah, complacent. When those children at the Academy see even a fraction of what I can do..._

_**Pot, meet kettle, **_echoed a voice within him.

_About time you showed up, _he replied. _I can almost begin to see why you wanted to burn this place down._

_**Would it make a difference if I told you that I was put under duress to do so?**_

_No... not really. You still want to do it?_

_**I don't care. All I want is out of here.**_

_All right, we'll find a way. I don't know how we'll be able to do it, but we'll do it together. That okay with you?_

_**I suppose so.**_

His feet had taken him to a ramshackle ramen stand called "Ichiraku's"... and strangely, memories from when before he had started along the path of the Undefeated of the East came to him, and he found himself drooling at the aroma of dear, sweet, heavenly miso ramen...

"Good day," he said, taking a seat on one of the stools.

"Good afternoon," the old man at the counter said. "What will it be?"

"A bowl of miso ramen, please."

"Coming. Ayame! One miso!" the old man yelled.

"All right!"

"Well, we don't see people from Whirpool around these parts so often," the old man said, beginning a conversation with the boy.

"That's because I'm not," the boy replied. "I wear this in memory of my mother, who used to be from Whirpool. Pleased to meet you, uh..."

"Ichiraku Teuchi."

"Teuchi-ojiisan! My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I've just come back from a training trip."

"Well now! How about you tell this old down-on-his-luck ramen chef details about that while you wait?"

"Sure, Teuchi-ojiisan!"

* * *

The talk had been wonderful - with Naruto telling ridiculously understated or exaggerated versions of where he'd been and what he'd seen on the road of training with his Master, and the ramen was simply divine - Naruto wanted to ask for thirds, but he had been taught by his Master to exercise moderation in all things. After promising to return regularly, he paid for his meal, left a generous tip (because seriously, he couldn't deny the subtle interplay of flavors that only ramen from this stall could provide) and returned to his tour of the town of Konoha.

He had gone through roughly two-thirds of the places he needed to be when he finally noticed a presence had been hovering around him ever since he left the ramen stand.

Naruto laughed to himself a bit as he simply swung around a bit and then...

"...excuse me, miss, are you looking for someone?"

He tapped the person who had been following him on the shoulder lightly as he asked this question.

"Eek!" squeaked his pursuer, and both of them were surprised at what had followed: the person spun around and then simply crumpled onto the sidewalk, leaving Naruto to gape at what had happened.

_Fainted?_

_**It's a girl, you dimwit.**_

_I know now._

***

She came to gazing into the strangest set of blue eyes she had ever seen.

"Glad you're back," the owner of said eyes quipped. "Would you mind telling me why you were following me?"

"Uh... um..." the girl answered as she stood back up, "no... no reason."

"By the way, my name is Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto, turned twelve just a few weeks ago, and about to attend the Ninja Academy," the boy said, standing up and bowing lightly as he introduced himself.

"M-my name is Hinata. Hyuuga Hinata, and I'm an Academy student, too. Um..." she said, twiddling her fingers, "I've never seen you at the Academy before."

"...that's because I just got back from a training trip. I'm gonna start a crash course at the Academy tomorrow," Naruto replied. "Say, I forgot to ask Hokage-sama for a guide, and you've done a good job of tracking me so far. If it would not inconvenience you, Hyuuga-sama, would you assist me in finding my way around this Village?"

Hinata chuckled. "I would be honored, Uzumaki-san."

As they resumed his tour of the town, he had to drop a remark about her stuttering going away when he had taken the speech of a nobleman asking a fellow noblewoman for a favor, which got her blushing and repeating syllables in her words all over again, to their amusement.

* * *

The tour was done, and Naruto had bid his new friend good bye for the day - or make that night, since it had been a few moments after the sun went down when they had parted ways.

_That's a good start for today, wouldn't you say?_

**_As good a start as any._**

After a little walking, Naruto finally reached the apartment that Hokage-sama had prepared for his arrival. After he fished out the keys, he opened the door and walked in to find that the place was sparsely furnished. He had expected almost everything, but this would suffice.

Yes, it exceeded his expectations: it was rather spacious to allow for the various at-home training regimens that his Master had taught him, and it was mundane enough for him to spice up the decor - the School of the Undefeated of the East had also touched upon interior decoration as part of its lessons on the various social graces.

As he unpacked the little amount of clothes he had into the small wooden closet in the bedroom, he took a moment to take in the day's events.

First, he had finally made it to Konoha; next, the Hokage had welcomed him, allowed him to try and attempt a crash course at the Ninja Academy, and had taken the trouble to offer him a place to stay; and then he had taken an impromptu guided tour around the town with a rather strange girl named Hinata.

Oh yeah, and Ichiraku's Ramen was the best ramen ever.

That was one thing his Master wouldn't answer: just where did the boy acquire his predilection for the noodle dish?

He didn't bother to think about that. Tomorrow was his first day of Ninja Academy, and he had a lot of catching up to do.

* * *

While the Ninja Academy assembly time was at 8 in the morning, a certain blonde Academy student had already awoken and finished his morning rituals two hours before.

He spent the next hour and a half jogging around the town, mentally marking the training grounds he saw along the way according to how well they'd work when he sparred: sometimes he would get so into the moves that he would leave a literal trail of destruction in his wake.

That's all well and good when you live day to day hand-in-hand with Mother Nature, but this was different.

Of course, having the half-civil and half-grumpy fox in you didn't help matters any - it was only recently that he'd gotten her (!) respect and was pleasantly surprised to know that before she had become the strongest of the Bijuu, she was also an adept in the Sage ranks.

She had given him one ninja technique to use, but truth be told, he didn't even know how and when to use it. Every time he'd ask the fox for more information, she'd simply tell him "first things first".

He had finished his run well ahead of schedule, so he went back to his apartment, showered the exertion of the morning off, and picked up an apple he'd bought along the run, intending to eat it on the way to school.

And upon his arrival at the Konoha Ninja Academy, he found a group of kids his age talking among themselves, and about which teams they'd end up with upon graduating.

He hesitated a bit, because he knew he had to pass through this before he'd have the right to wear the hitai-ate of the Leaf. Speaking about forehead protectors, he untied his mother's memento and pocketed it before walking within the visual range of his new classmates.

Curious looks were given by the students as he passed by, and several of them were about to edge close to start a conversation when the bell signaling the end of assembly rang, and the students rushed towards their respective classrooms in a sort of ordered chaos.

***

"You wish to be Genin?" the Chunin instructor had asked him.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei, if that is possible," Naruto respectfully replied.

"You understand that first, I have to give you a placement test; and second, the graduation exam will be held in six weeks from now?"

"I understand, sensei, and I will do as much as I can in the little time I have been given. Will this placement test be practical?"

"There will be a written portion, Naruto-kun."

"Pardon me, sensei, but I have little to no factual knowledge of this town and its history. I have not even had the chance to read up on the most basic of ninja theories."

"Ah. Judging by your choice of words, you HAVE had a practical grounding in ninja education," Umino Iruka said, smiling. "Hmm, I suppose you could spar one of our graduates for us to see your combat skill, maybe a few weapon drills, and a ninjutsu or two. If you prove to be adequate in those fields, I'll recommend the Hokage to let you in the remedial classes. All right?"

Naruto bowed. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

"Now how about we head to the classroom so you can introduce yourself to your classmates, eh?"

"Yes, sir."

***

"All right, pipe down! Even though it's gonna be the graduation exam in a short while and you're supposed to be preparing for them, you'll be having a new classmate today! He'll take up classes here and some remedial lessons to catch up with you guys!" Iruka announced as he entered the classroom.

He turned to the boy who was still in the doorway. "Okay, you can go and introduce yourself to the class now."

The students in the classroom gasped as they saw the same blonde kid this morning walk into the classroom, stop in front of the teacher's table, bow to Iruka-sensei before facing his new classmates.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and it is an honor to study alongside all of you," he said, bowing.

"Excellent introduction, Naruto-kun. Now, please take a seat and I'll go over today's review about the geography of this continent."

"Yes, sensei."

He quickly went towards an empty table, trying to memorize faces, facial features and clothes, so he'd be able to pair their names with them upon introduction. When his gaze swung over to a dark-haired girl seated in a far corner of the room, he smiled.

Their eyes met briefly, and his smile grew wider as he took his seat.

Thankfully, most of the vacated seats had a few papers and a pencil stored - Naruto made a mental note to either go to the library and read or do a little work on the side to be able to buy a few books for his own use.

His thinking was interrupted as he focused on his sensei's narration of previous lessons, which he would have normally dozed through - if not for his training. That was when his Master had taught him about note-taking and how to prevent the mind from going into a lull.

Only the slight shaking of his shoulders betrayed his distaste for this activity, but if he did, it would be like betraying his Master's gift - the old man did teach him to read and write, after all.

***

Lunchtime was a boring affair of rice balls and vegetables boiled to death that while bland, had tasted much better than most of the things he and his Master had to partake in their travels. He had actually left the school premises and sat on the swing he saw just outside the school, as it looked like an oasis in the midst of a rather sweltering noon.

However, mere minutes after eating, he sensed people coming towards him.

It was the black-haired kid wearing the blue shirt and white shorts, and it seemed most of the other students here saw him as their impromptu leader or something.

"Fight me," he said.

Naruto only pretended to hear, this wasn't the time or the place to show even a bit of what he could really do.

"Can't this wait until we do get a chance to spar against one another, uh..."

"Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

"I'm glad for your offer, Uchiha-san, but I'm afraid I was given a few discretionary words by Hokage-sama and Iruka-sensei not to physically spar until I was given proper clearance," Naruto explained. "Please understand."

"Hn." Sasuke nodded and then walked away.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun? You would've whooped him good!" one of the girls flanking him said (this one had pink hair).

"Yeah!" confirmed the other (this one, on the other hand, was blonde).

Naruto could hear a sigh of frustration from the boy as he walked back into the Academy, shrugged, and followed them.

* * *

Back in the classroom, Naruto had the great idea of asking his new friend Hinata to let him leaf through her notes so he'd not totally make a mockery of himself (and by extension, his Master) at next day's quiz. She, of course, accepted - but the boy didn't seem to notice her twiddling fingers and reddening face even after he handed over her notes when he sensed Iruka-sensei returning.

That was when his hands brushed hers lightly, and when he looked up, he could have sworn someone swapped out Hyuuga Hinata's head for a ripe tomato wearing a wig.

"All right, we're heading out to the Training Grounds for some target practice! uzumaki! Stop flirting with Hinata!" he yelled, causing the rest of the students to look back at those two.

He just scratched his head and laughed while Hinata looked away, blushed even redder and began twiddling her fingers again.

_What is it with these people?_

* * *

At the training grounds, they all lined up to throw shuriken and kunai at various training targets placed in various points along the field.

"Naruto, how about you start? Try to hit the target," Iruka said, handing the boy a brace of shuriken.

He took a full five minutes examining each one, causing the class to start muttering among themselves.

"It's like he hasn't even seen a shuriken before," snickered a brown-haired feral-looking classmate with a small white puppy peeking out of his jacket.

"Pipe down, Inuzuka," Iruka-sensei said. "Uh, Naruto-kun, is there...?"

"No sir, just checking each one for balance," Naruto replied. "Which target? That one?"

He tossed a shuriken aside.

"Or that one?"

He tossed another.

"Or this one over here?" he asked as he tossed a third shuriken aside. "What's wrong?"

He looked back at his classmates and sensei, and all of them were gaping at him.

He didn't hit the intended target, but three other targets were pegged near the bulls-eye by the throwing stars Naruto just cast carelessly.

"What? Oh, you mean the targets? I was already scoping out how to hit most of the targets while I was weighing the shuriken I held for balance."

"You have heard of the term 'multitasking' before, have you?" Naruto asked, and only the dry leaves raised by an afternoon wind answered him.

"T-t-t-t-that was awesome!" the Inuzuka replied, pointing at the Uzumaki's feat with awe in his eyes. "You have got to teach me that move!"

Naruto's eyes widened a bit. But this was just simple target practice! All you had to do was... he thought.

Needless to say, he spent the rest of the afternoon explaining his "methods" on throwing to both his teacher and classmates.

* * *

After classes, he had decided to drop by an unused Training Ground and practice the more rigorous moves that his School required. He had already warmed up as he took a few laps around the Civilian District before jogging to his present location.

He took a deep breath, and began his movements, all the while thinking about how his first day of school was rather interesting, even if it did get weird towards the afternoon. He did, however, get the names of all his classmates, which in and of itself was a good achievement.

The School of the Undefeated of the East was technically the most fluid martial arts school of all, because it required no specialized skill. Rather, it took the specialties of the practitioner, allowing it to grow at a natural pace. The saying that "good artists copy; great ones steal" did not technically apply to the School, as it was neither closed off to new techniques or too open to not have a defining style of its own.

Naruto thought that this form was the most appropriate art he had been taught, for it allowed him to well, be himself, as much as he had been conditioned by his Master in the more subtle arts of communication and strategy - integral parts of the School of the Undefeated of the East that most other schools seemed to gloss over or worse, neglect outright.

At first, he thought it was a royal mess: the dichotomy of what the School's intents and methods were apparently conflicted, but when seen in the right light, they actually complemented each other.

It was the first big discovery he had made ever since becoming the apprentice of Master Asia, and he smiled.

Tomorrow would be more of the same. He moved into the next step of his forms, confident in both the facts that these six weeks will probably be rather repetitive and that anything unexpected could happen at any time. He was already used to those facts even before he went here...

Uzumaki Naruto, apprentice of the Undefeated of the East, finished his forms and hurried back to his home to prepare for his second day of classes.

Chapter 2 - **End**

**a/n:** Not thinking of shipping for the moment. Yeah, there are fluffly scenes but that won't carry him through. And yes, there will be even more surprises in store as Naruto goes through six weeks of Ninja Academy cram school.

Sorry if the fic ends up slow, as there will be enough building-punting action soon enough.

Next chapter will feature Naruto's appraisal by the best Taijutsu-specialist genin, a rivalry will be born, and the most ridiculously epic manly greeting will fan the Fires of Youth of a certain individual to ridiculously epic levels. Oh yeah, and Naruto gets to spar against Sasuke.

And please review! Reviews are the lifeblood of a fic. :D


	3. BURNING

_disclaimer:_ naruto, g-gundam, clannad, boy's empire and other cited works are not mine, and no copyright infringement is deliberately intended. this is a fan work of dubious quality and thus must be read with several pinches of salt.

**All together now:**

The School of the Undefeated of the East!

The Winds of the King!

Zenshin!

Keiretsu!

Tempa Kyouran!

**Look!**

**The East is burning red!**

* * *

Chapter 3: **BURNING**

**

* * *

**

Uzumaki Naruto - the latest in a long line of apprentices to Touhou Fuhai - had just finished the most frantic two weeks of his life.

Namely, the Konohagakure Ninja Academy crash course.

12-hour study periods left him with roughly 2 or 3 hours to at least maintain his physical condition, and then it was off to Ichiraku's for a quick bite, the market for some food shopping, and then back home for some home-made protein shakes (which he still hated) and then off to bed.

Weekends were his way of unwinding - after breakfast and some _hors d'ouvures_ from Ichiraku's - it was all training, all nonstop.

First Saturday in, and he runs into this duo of taijutsu specialists...

...and when that day was done, Naruto was utterly convinced that Might Guy was a practical genius hiding behind the facade of eyebrows so thick they could warp reality, the eye-searing green jumpsuit and the constant echoing of THE POWERS OF YOUTH!

Well, he did just stoke those flames **INTO OVERDRIVE** when he first did the Greeting with the Konoha jonin and his apprentice, young Rock Lee.

He snickered to himself as he remembered the details of their first meeting.

* * *

Naruto was almost finished with his daily two laps around the village, when he saw the strangest of sights.

Two green blurs were going at it at one of the training grounds.

Naruto's eyes weren't yet able to catch the nuances of their moves, but to him, he could see enough of what the two people sparring were doing.

He'd seen a demonstration of the Ninja Academy's taijutsu before, and was convinced it was good - for an entry-level school of martial arts.

Entry-level meant it was only good for spars. Real life would show the cracks, and if you didn't start making adjustments, the consequences would be lethal.

He tried a few of those forms, but found out that they seemed to both restrict his movement AND his expression - the thing that the School of the Undefeated of the East allowed him free rein in. After all, "martial artists express their emotions through their fists", so his Shishou's saying went.

And so he went through the motions just so he'd get through the day, hoping the Hokage would finish the paperwork and he'd get his clearance to use the School's taijutsu in Academy classes.

This isn't any of those situations, Naruto thought as he saw the two green blurs move faster and faster until...

"LEE! Let us take five. It appears we are being appraised."

Okay, he had gotten used to Shishou's bombastic tone (the man was larger than life, so there), but this was a whole other level entirely.

When the two green blurs stopped, Naruto could finally take a good look at them. They were almost carbon copies of each other: shiny black hair in a bowl cut, green jumpsuit, and those eyebrows...

"Greetings," Naruto said, bowing courteously to the two Konoha-nin.

"Ah, so you must be the Uzumaki. Hokage-sama had given me word that one of Lee's age would be scheduled for a spar."

Well, would you look at that. He actually stumbled onto the person who was supposed to gauge his skill in taijutsu. But something bothered him... how would this man know that he was a taijutsu specialist himself?

"Yes, sir. My name is Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto," the boy said, bowing again.

"I am Might Guy, jonin of Konoha, and this is my apprentice Rock Lee."

"Yosh! I have seen you watching over my and Guy-sensei's spar! Your instincts show you to be a fighter like us!"

Naruto just smiled at the genin.

"Yes, but I've received my training from outside Konoha, and I've only recently been cleared to return here by my Shishou."

"Shishou...?" Guy said, his mood shifting suddenly from outgoing to contemplative. "Could it be that you were the child selected by that man to be his apprentice?"

"Oh, you mean my Shishou?" Naruto asked. "Don't really remember the first time meeting him. All I know is that we've been going everywhere and training."

"Guy-sensei, is something the matter?"

"LEE!" Guy suddenly exclaimed. "If Naruto-kun's Shishou is who I think it is, you will find him to be a worthy sparring partner. Yes! I suppose a spar between you and this genin from Whirpool is in order!"

"...but I'm an Academy student from Konoha, not a genin from Whirpool..." Naruto explained, silently cursing himself for wearing his mother's only keepsake around his forehead.

"Nevertheless, I am sure you have the aptitude to wear it!" Guy said, getting into his Nice Guy (tm) pose, causing Naruto to flinch from the sudden glare of the Konoha jonin's teeth.

"Yosh!" Lee added. "I would be honored to spar with one of your caliber, Naruto-kun! Guy-sensei must hold your Shishou in such esteem to ask for a spar so soon!"

"All right..." Naruto said, pocketing the Uzu forehead protector.

"Let us get into positions now, Lee! Naruto-kun!"

Naruto nodded, unaware of what he was getting into.

* * *

Two hours later, it was a bone-weary and bedraggled-with-sweat Naruto who dragged himself into Ichiraku's Ramen.

In spite of his physical state, he was wearing the biggest smile on his face he had ever sported.

"Two extra-large bowls of beef ramen, extra shoulder for one, and two patties for the other," Naruto said as he placed his order.

"Naruto-kun! Are you all right?" Ayame, daughter of THE BEST RAMEN CHEF IN ALL THE FIVE ELEMENTAL COUNTRIES AND BEYOND (to Naruto's humble opinion), asked.

"Just a little sparring..." Naruto answered, smiling. "Thank you for your concern."

He had said nothing further after the food had been given, instead devoting all his attention to savoring his meal - and after paying, he gave an abridged account of his academy days so far before shuffling towards his apartment.

Nobody noticed that he had a bright green bundle in his other hand as he did.

* * *

Whereas before, he had a few misgivings, now he was thoroughly sold on the idea of Might Guy as a genius, savant, or something in between the meaning of those two words.

Seriously.

When he saw the Konoha-jonin work to incorporate styles other than Gouken to his apprentice, it reminded Uzumaki Naruto of the purity of movement [note 1] the School of the Undefeated of the East offered. He saw Guy-sensei deferring to Gouken as a primary taijutsu style and adapting all others on those terms), the Academy student was still a little shocked at the results.

It also served to keep him grounded, as despite all the theoretical advantages the School had, nothing really beat experience.

To further ram home the point, the eyebrow-laden taijutsu expert also had a pragmatic streak when it came to training: case in point, the bright green jumpsuit he had given Naruto as training wear.

The Uzumaki was blown away by the discovery. Not only was it the most maneuverable thing he'd ever worn - like a second skin, even - it also absorbed sweat like no one's business. An afternoon of training meant by the time you were doing cooling-down exercises, you were carrying several extra pounds of water weight on you.

Naruto gaped as the first day he'd worn the suit on a weekend, by the time he hit the showers, he squeezed out a veritable stream of sweat from the jumpsuit he trained in.

Damn, if that wasn't smart, he didn't know what was.

Naruto got over the squeamish feeling of wearing that color by simply dying the cloth an even darker shade of green, almost black. While Guy-sensei wasn't too happy about it, he did appreciate Naruto's acknowledgment of the feasibility of that kind of training wear. Unfortunately, Guy-sensei already had an apprentice AND a genin team, because he would have loved to see a practitioner of the last pure [note 1] schools of martial arts on his team.

Uzumaki Naruto smiled as he returned to his forms, happy that there were at least two Konoha-nin who knew about what he did and just how difficult it was.

Let's not forget about the Greeting - both Guy-sensei AND Lee knew it by heart. Heck, in some taijutsu-users' circles, the School of the Undefeated of the East was the theoretical pinnacle of marital arts. This was why Guy-sensei and Lee knew the Greeting but couldn't actually USE it as a Greeting... unless you did it with an actual practitioner of the School.

At the end of the two weeks, after the sparring and theoretical questions on the Academy taijutsu classes, Guy-sensei (Lee's way of addressing his sensei bled off on Naruto) and Lee finally asked him outright if he was indeed a practitioner of the School of the Undefeated of the East.

When he said he was, Lee asked to do the Greeting, which Naruto gladly obliged to.

"The School of the Undefeated of the East!" Naruto took up a combat stance.

"The Winds of the King!" Lee followed, taking up a similar stance as his sparring partner did.

"Zenshin!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing out a random flurry of punches.

"Keiretsu!" Lee added, parrying those punches and throwing out his own.

"Tempa Kyouran!" they yelled together in a furious exchange of punches.

Lee threw an epic left while Naruto threw an epic right.

They both posed in the prescribed stance of the Greeting.

**"LOOK!"**

**"THE EAST IS BURNING RED!"**

Whoever said Rock Lee had NO Genjutsu ability was a damned liar, as the sheer exhilaration caused him to instinctively produce a genjutsu of burning fire to appear behind Rock Lee and Uzumaki Naruto - from Might Guy's point of view.

This was the fire of a heart burning with the flames of the School of the Undefeated of the East, and it need not be said that from then on, Naruto would spend weekends hanging around with the taijutsu specialists whenever he could.

* * *

Naruto's devotion to learning wasn't done overnight, and he grimaced as he remembered his Shishou beating it into him.

Speaking of beat, he remembered that last trip he took with his Master out of the Elemental Countries to check up on one of his students.

They had reached a strange building that looked suspiciously like the Konoha Ninja Academy, but much larger.

After his Shishou had asked for directions from a brown-haired girl with tufts of hair that looked suspiciously like insect antennae (to Naruto), they made their way through the halls of what they were told was a school...

...only to dodge at the last moment as a human projectile went sailing towards them, past them, and finally crashing into a wall.

"Like I said, Sunohara, you know you won't win," an exasperated voice came from the other end of the hall.

"That's her," Master Asia said.

"My senior?" Naruto asked.

"Yes."

They walked through the hall, ignoring the stares, until they came across a young man with a bored-looking expression and a gray-haired young woman.

"So... Shishou... who's my senior?"

"Shishou?" the young woman asked. "May I ask why you are here?"

"Tomoyo-san," Master Asia said. "Have you finally made up your mind?"

She took in a deep breath.

"I'll keep going on this path," she said before giving the bored-looking boy (_a boy friend?_ Naruto asked himself) a small look. "I thank you for what you have taught me, sensei, but..."

"I see," Master Asia answered. "It seems you have indeed reached your limit with what the School can show you. One last question: do you regret it?"

"A little," the woman named Tomoyo answered, "just a little."

"Good. Now perform the greeting with young Naruto-kun here and we shall be leaving."

"Yes, sensei."

What followed left the bored-looking young man gaping, as the Greeting really was made of so much awesome that anyone who would look at it directly would have their blood start to boil.

Oh yeah, instead of punches, Tomoyo threw kicks, which Naruto likewise responded to.

Once the Greeting had ended, Naruto was asked to stay behind while his Master would finalize a few things before their departure...

* * *

Multitasking was hard.

But yes, it was one of the basic skills of the School that its students needed to know.

So while Naruto was writing down notes on the conjectured reasons of the Third Ninja World War, his mind wandered over to his little talk with Sakagami Tomoyo, his senior in the School of the Undefeated of the East...

"Senpai, can I ask why you joined the School?" Naruto asked.

"...It's kind of a long story, Naruto-kun," Tomoyo answered. "But if you like, I can give you the short version."

"That's fine, Tomoyo-senpai," Naruto answered. "No problem at all."

"Very well," Tomoyo said, and began her story.

The Sakagamis were known to be a family of skilled combatants, and also had a Main and Branch family. But ever since the Main House prodigy Umeko had the philosophy of "make love, not war", that simple decision changed the fate of both Houses of the Sakagamis.

Not only was this the reason Tomoyo joined the School, but also because she was now the heir apparent to the Sakagami family.

"I guess you don't really know people at first glance, senpai..." Naruto finally said after his senior had told her story.

"Well, it all turned out for the best. Umeko-oneechan's doing fine now, and Tamura-san is working hard for their family," Tomoyo said. "Maybe that was oneechan's way of saying that... I don't know, things change and we should be ready."

"Why can't you have both?" Naruto asked. "I mean, you're really strong, so..."

"It's not that simple, Naruto-kun."

"It should be," Naruto replied. "The School, if you think about it, is the simplest way of life to follow. We're fighters; we express ourselves by fighting, right? What's that got to do with your dream?"

"You'll understand, Naruto-kun... when you have someone or something important to protect," Tomoyo answered after a minute of silence.

And then she started to ruffle the boy's hair.

"Yikes! Stop it!"

"Hope I'm not interrupting something, Tomoyo-san," a voice said.

"Sensei."

"Shishou!"

"Come now, preparations are complete. We need to be going."

**"WAIT! YOU'RE NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU WITNESS MY DEFEAT OF YOUR STUDENT SAKAGAMI!"** a shout came from the distance as Tomoyo rolled her eyes.

"It's him again," Tomoyo whispered. "Naruto, deal with him, please. As a favor from your senpai."

"Of course," Naruto said, readying his hands into the Tiger hand seal.

Before the blonde boy could close the distance towards him and Tomoyo, Naruto had already moved to the side and aimed his hands at a vulnerable spot.

_"Konohagakure Hiden Taijutsu Ougi,"_ Naruto whispered, gathering momentum in his arms before thrusting his fingers forward.

**"SENNEN GOROSHI!"**

As always, on target; thus Uzumaki Naruto and his Shishou left that strange school with smiles on their faces, a former student and an unfortunate victim of that vicious technique lying on the floor and asking for ice cream.

* * *

"Final exams will be held the end of this week," Iruka said as the class was drawing to a close. "We're not going to give any special treatment to anyone here," and by 'special treatment', he probably meant Naruto, "and make exceptions for those who decided to enroll for a limited time."

Zing. Yep, definitely Naruto.

He just shrugged. So what if he failed, there were other ways of being a ninja anyway. Ninjas were deceptive and relied on sleight-of-hand and other tricks, and Naruto was beginning to expect something unexpected to happen soon.

That unexpected thing happened in the form of Uchiha Sasuke suddenly appearing without warning as he did cooldown exercises later that night in a training ground.

"Now, you have to fight me," the Uchiha said.

Naruto shrugged.

"Fine, have it your way, then," he replied resignedly, going into his most comfortable taijutsu stance.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw it. Those aren't Konoha standard! What's going on here?

He dismissed the thought as he charged towards his fellow Academy student...

Chapter 3: **END**

[note 1] The terms "pure" and "applied" are used extremely loosely in this fic. In the Narutoverse, most taijutsu schools are "applied", i.e. meant to be used in battle, and have the intent to kill. "Pure" martial arts, on the other hand, focus more on form analysis, adaptation, and poetry in motion. Most schools in the Narutoverse are more "applied" than "pure" (with the exception of Jyuken the Gentle Fist), which makes Guy doubly happy to see Naruto. Why? Neji uses the Gentle Fist in the more "applied" manner.

[note 2] Naruto knows Sennen Goroshi because Master Asia saw Tsunade using it, and taught it to the boy.

Poor Sunohara can't catch a break, can he?


	4. Talk to the Fist

_disclaimer:_ Naruto isn't mine, G-Gundam isn't mine, Ouran High School Host Club isn't mine, Clannad isn't mine either.

**a/n:** I've been hit with writer's block for Arcane Heart's last two chapters the size of Axis. It sucks.

So I'll work on this in the meantime.

Kinda short, but it will showcase more of Naruto's changed philosophies and more flashbacks to yet ANOTHER senpai of his in the School.

(Do the greeting of the School. You know you want to. :3)

* * *

_**Naruto: Moeagare Toushi**_

**Chapter 4: Talk to the Fist**

**

* * *

**Uzumaki Naruto currently had a big problem.

It wasn't Uchiha Sasuke trying (and failing) to land a hit on him in their impromptu sparring session.

While the Uchiha WAS skilled, Naruto could literally run rings around him, but that wasn't what got Naruto all worked up.

He had gotten into many spars, battles, and combat engagements as his master's disciple - but for all that, he could not understand his Master's statement: "upon reaching a certain level of mastery, you will know that a warrior expresses himself through his fists".

Naruto always thought it was one of those things that you'd get when you became a master.

It was a poor time to learn it firsthand, as with every desperate blow the Uchiha threw, he was projecting the darkest of emotions: hatred, despair, self-loathing...

...and those feelings were beginning to affect the boy.

"Stop it..." he said as he redirected the momentum of a punch thrown by Sasuke into a palm strike that sent the Uchiha skidding several feet back - the first blow he threw in the spar.

Sasuke resumed his assault, the force of his (unknowing) psychic assault on Naruto growing even more stronger.

"Stop it!" Naruto shouted, his patience at its end as he preempted Sasuke's attempt at a spinning kick by rushing at him and throwing a punch in the midsection that temporarily stunned Sasuke.

"I'm not going to lose... not to one like you..." Sasuke gritted out, and deep inside, he was a bit happy to see the transfer student's composure finally break.

"Why do you wish to win?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Because... I'm not going to get revenge if a mere... transfer like you gets to beat me!" Sasuke yelled, resuming his attack only to be brought down in one hit.

"...Sasuke," Naruto began, "...don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not going to spar with you any further if you keep carrying on like a child."

"My childhood came to an end the day of the Massacre," Sasuke spat out.

"Massacre, huh? Tell me more about it."

And so Uchiha Sasuke ended up telling Uzumaki Naruto the sad story about his hapless Clan, massacred by his brother just to "prove his ability"...

"You know what?" Naruto asked after Sasuke had told his tale, "When I was on my training trip with Shishou, the only things we had were the clothes on our backs and the School in our fists. We'd only head back to civilization every couple of months, where Shishou would check up on some of my fellow students. One time, when I was getting a good learning of the moves, I started getting cocky. Shishou then had me spar with this little guy. Blond hair like mine, carried around a stuffed bunny, and all the girls in his school thought the kid was the cutest thing in the history of the world."

"What happened?" Sasuke asked.

"He kicked my ass," Naruto answered, "seven ways to Sunday. My elbow had a tic for six months after it."

Sasuke laughed.

"You got your ass beat by a kid?"

"He only looked like a kid. Actually was a high school student. Anyway," Naruto continued, "what my Master taught me was that no matter how far I progress, there will always be obstacles to overcome, challenges to face, and characters to meet."

"I don't follow."

"You're only after beating your brother, right? For killing the clan?" Naruto asked. "That's all fine and dandy, but what about after you do it? IF you could..."

"I'll rebuild the clan."

"What if he gets a lucky shot on your two best friends before he dies?"

That shut the Uchiha up as his face turned slightly green.

Naruto laughed. "See, you have to be prepared for any eventuality. If you do that, you'll find happiness in the most inopportune of places."

"Did your Master teach you that?"

"No, my mother left me a letter... so what about it?"

"I'll give it some thought."

Naruto smiled. "That's great. So, how often do you wanna spar?"

* * *

Umino Iruka was aghast.

So THIS was what Uzumaki Naruto could do under the tutelage of that man the Elemental Countries called "The Undefeated of the East".

Pity Iruka didn't expect his student of five - no, six - weeks to be such a ham about it though - it must have been passed from master to student.

"Foolish wretch! To think that you have been backing your horse with the enemy of your home for a mere pittance of power!" Naruto yelled after getting the wounded Academy Teacher to a safe distance. "A disgraceful and dishonorable pest such as you will be excised off this world, in the name of the School of the Undefeated of the East!"

He had easily passed the genin exam due to subtle use of the Juuni Ouhouhai, got extra credit for a "special" technique taught by the one sealed within him, and had been practicing more advanced moves on the forests outside of Konoha when he had heard the Forbidden Scroll was somehow stolen.

_Stealing things in a ninja village?_

_From **the Hokage's library**, of all places?_

If Naruto could smack his head on a tree, he would have at the sheer ineptitude of it all. Still, the School's mandate required him to use his power to rectify injustice, and what was ongoing in the village smacked of that.

He closed his eyes and whispered to the (female) entity within.

**_Finally, a chance for you to sate your need for battle._**

_Not just mine. Ours._

**_I assume you want my emotions to pass through, then?_**

_We'll see. Maybe it's not the right time for that, yet._

A sultry laugh echoed in Naruto's ears as he went through the trees...

"Who's the wretch here? You think I don't know what you really are... demon brat?" the thief yelled, and Naruto recognized the voice.

Mizuki.

The breathy whisper returned to him.

**_Beat my feelings into him._**

Naruto closed his eyes and let out a wicked chuckle.

_Sounds good._

That laughter again echoed within his mind before fading out.

"Demon, eh?" Naruto asked, going into his combat stance. "I guess it's okay, then..."

"Naruto! Mizuki's a chunin! You're sorely outm-"

"Iruka-sensei..." Naruto cut him off, "...sorry for talking out of line, but I've got this. And you..." he continued, turning to Mizuki, "are going to find out what a demonic beatdown is."

He dashed down from the treetops and buried a fist in Mizuki's gut before anyone could blink.

"...Firsthand..." Naruto whispered as his eyes flashed from blue to red, signaling the start of the rout.

* * *

"Hey, hey, Iruka-sensei..." Naruto began as they made their trek back to Konoha proper, "so how about that bowl of ramen?"

"I gotta return this to Hokage-sama, first... and then check myself into the hospital," Iruka said. He barely managed to catch with his eyes every blow the boy threw - Naruto even asked the would-be missing-nin if he wanted to give up, and upon hearing a no, sent another flurry of blows into the man's breadbasket.

Iruka flinched as the beating a few minutes ago returned to him.

_"You give?"_

_"I'm not gonna give to a demon brat like..."_

_And then he stopped as the boy stepped up his psychic assault. The blows themselves didn't do much damage, but the rage and bloodlust delivered by Naruto's punches, combined with his red eyes, did the trick._

_Each blow was an expression of hatred and rage the likes of which Mizuki only saw that fateful day in October, 12 years ago, and against it there was nothing he could do...  
_

_"...please, stop! I give up!"_

_"...okay," Naruto said, before backing up and grinning evilly again. "And this one's for laughs."_

_He threw an uppercut that hit straight and true, mercifully sending the former Academy teacher into the hands of unconsciousness._

"You're getting rusty, sensei. Must be all that teaching all those not-really-relevant names, places and events you call history that caused it."

"Maybe, maybe... so, was what Mizuki was saying true?"

"Some of it, Iruka-sensei. I heard from a new friend. The fox got your parents, right?"

Iruka stopped for a moment. "Yes... yes, it did."

"Well," Naruto said, "since she's not up to apologizing, I guess it's my job to say her 'I'm-sorry-will-you-forgive-me', eh?"

"You're not the demon fox," Iruka said after a while, as they kept walking back to Konoha.

"Maybe... but that's what everyone else thinks."

"Don't let them get to you, Naruto. You're one of this year's best rookie genin."

"Only because I got back with six weeks left before graduation, right, Sensei?"

Teacher and student exchanged a laugh as they returned to Konoha, a scroll strapped to the teacher's back and a roundly beaten and unconscious Mizuki on Naruto's shoulders.

What was especially amusing to several ANBU - those in Torture and Interrogation - was that Mizuki decided to spill the beans (and the contents of his bladder, too) the moment the name "Naruto" was dropped.

Everyone in that department was satisfied, except for one Mitarashi Anko, who never had the chance to play finger puppets with the rogue nin.

Chapter 4 - **END**

* * *

**a/n:** I decided to make Umeko Sakagami (later Tamura) and Tomoyo Sakagami related. Who's Umeko? Google is your friend. *flees from the angry mob*

Also, Hani strikes back. Naruto is strong here but not godlike. As an aside, Master Asia training Haninozuka Mitsukuni is probably more plausible than you think. Guy makes mushroom clouds from martial arts, for God's sake.

The Nine-Tailed Fox is likewise neutral to Naruto: she's seen him train, fight, and get into all sorts of adventures and come out without tapping into her power. A previous training incident to be revealed in future chapters will show how Naruto managed to carve out a truce between him and the bijuu within him.

Why make the Fox female? One reason is that the Nine-Tails in "Arcane Heart" identifies himself as male. Also, potential Shippuden spoileriffic stuff that will come into play much, much later.

Next chapter: Team assignments, D-Ranks, and a favor from the Hokage.


	5. First Impressions

_disclaimer:_ again, not mine.

Let's do the chant again!

Ryuha, Touhou Fuhai wa!  
Ouja no kaze yo!  
Zenshin!  
Keiretsu!  
Tenpa Kyouran!  
Miyo! Touhou wa! Akaku moeteiru!

* * *

_**Naruto: Moeagare Toushi**_

**Chapter 5: First Impressions**

* * *

Fresh off his manhandling of that traitorous scumbag Mizuki (or so the Konoha ninja grapevine said), one Uzumaki Naruto greeted the new day with gusto.

After all, he would finally go on missions - missions that according to the Third Hokage, his parents were exceptional at.

The beating he gave the former Academy teacher had gotten him a little reward from Hokage-sama about his parentage: though he didn't actually learn what his parents' names were, the old man did say that his parents were actually really good ninja.

He might have been one of his Shishou's best disciples (what with his high aptitude for kinesthetic learning), but as a ninja, he knew he still had a ways to go before he would discover who his parents were (through traveling the road they did).

Putting on his training jumpsuit (he asked Guy-sensei for three of those; one was black - for night ops; one was dark green - for training; and the last one was gray - which went well with nearly anything he wore, so he deemed it his civvies) and his well-worn kung fu shoes, he took off towards the Konoha Ninja Academy after stopping by Ichiraku's Ramen for breakfast (contrary to popular belief, they didn't serve only ramen there).

After a cup of oolong tea, Naruto bowed to Ichiraku Teuchi and then began his jog towards the Academy.

Upon his arrival, he took a seat and waited - he had taken care of his morning workout long before having tea at Ichiraku's.

As the morning progressed, all of Naruto's classmates piled into the room - and as they took their seats, Naruto took a count: wait, they were supposed to be 9... so who's the newcomer?

He feigned stretching out to sneak a look at their 10th member: not only did the boy's complexion make him look like he needed some sunshine, but that all-black garb made him look like those "goffik" guys Tomoyo-senpai used to point out and laugh at while he was going places with Shishou.

Plus, those eyes were creepy as heck... and there was something about his movements that Naruto found even creepier.

People were supposed to have their emotion leak out during their daily movements - and more pour out during a fight, or so his Shishou told.

This guy was as dull as a board - no emotion whatsoever.

Naruto shrugged. _Maybe a clan kid, _he thought, before going back to his reading.

A bandaged Umino Iruka entered the classroom just as Naruto was getting to the list of prescribed chakra control exercises; he knew he had to get the hang of this school of techniques if he wanted to honor his parents' legacy... whoever they were.

When the scarred chunin coughed and began his address, Naruto discreetly rolled up the scroll and put it away before turning towards the teacher.

"...and these will be the team layouts for this year's graduates: Team 7 is Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura..."

"All right!" the pink-haired girl said.

"...and Sai."

Both the Uchiha and the girl did a double-take. "Who's he?"

Naruto pointed to the "goffik" ninja before turning towards Iruka-sensei again.

"Jonin-sensei is Hatake Kakashi. Team 8 is Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba; jonin-sensei is Yuuhi Kurenai. Team 10 is Akimichi Chouji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino; jonin-sensei is Sarutobi Asuma."

Before Iruka could tell them to wait for their sensei, Naruto was already raising his hand. "Sensei, does that mean I get stuck here?"

"Of course not. Hokage-sama - in light of your circumstances - put you on an apprenticeship for the meantime. You're what we ninja call a 'floater'; ask your sensei and/or Hokage-sama about it later. Anyway..." Iruka continued, "please wait for your jonin-sensei to pick you up here. Congratulations, and do not forget that it will be a more dangerous road from here on out."

One hour later, only Team 7 and Naruto were left - Sakura was making doe eyes at Sasuke while the latter was trying to keep his cool by ignoring her; the "goffik" was reading a scroll, and Naruto was meditating.

Just then, everyone jumped up with a start with the crash of someone kicking the classroom door down.

"All right! Where's the genin I'm supposed to be picking up?" a rather rough female voice echoed in the doorway.

Naruto grinned in anticipation, wondering what his jonin-sensei would be like.

Just then, the wait had ended as a purple-haired and trenchcoat-clad kunoichi strode into the doorway. As she bent down to check on the door she (presumably) kicked down, Naruto, Sasuke and Sai the "goffik" all got the chance to look down her coat.

They had only managed to see that the kunoichi didn't dispense with something like a brassiere before they had to duck to avoid the trio of kunai that sailed towards them.

"Man, they keep starting younger. Is an Uzumaki Naruto here?" she asked.

Sasuke, Sakura and Sai all pointed at the blond.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"Excellent. I'm the poor young lady who Hokage-sama basically strong-armed to taking this gig. The name's Mitarashi Anko - and you WILL call me Anko-sama! Come on, let's get with the obligatory introductions so I can whip you into shape!"

With that, Team 7 could only look on in confusion as the purple-haired kunoichi dragged Naruto out the doorway by the arm.

* * *

Anko (correction, Anko-sama) had finally stopped at one of the training grounds, and had now seated her (for lack of a better term) understudy on the grass.

"So. Name, likes, dislikes, dreams for the future. Go."

"Uh..." Naruto began. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, training, and my Shishou. I... dislike... uh, I haven't found anything worth disliking so far, except that orange mask-wearing dumbass Shishou beat into the ground a few months before getting here... dreams for the future? Finish my training and pass on the School to someone. Maybe Rock Lee, he could do it."

"Well, that's a start," the purple-haired kunoichi said. "But dango is better than ramen."

Naruto shrugged before breaking out into song.

"Dan-go, dan-go, dan-go, dan-go. Dan-go dai-kazoku."

That got his sensei's attention.

"Something wrong, Anko-sama?" Naruto asked.

She smiled.

"No reason. So... I still have yet to see just how good you are. Spar?"

Naruto's grin turned into a full-blown smile as they went into their respective fighting stances.

* * *

It was around noon when the special jonin and her understudy walked into Ichiraku's Ramen, carrying several take-out boxes from the dango shop several corners over.

"Two beef bowls, please," Naruto said.

"You don't look too good," Ayame noticed before readying Naruto's lunch. "What happened?"

"Sparring with my sensei," Naruto replied. "Anko-sama! What will you have? It's on me."

"Miso," the special jonin answered. "Why did you get me to eat here, anyway?"

"Because," Naruto replied, his voice going into the singsong of rote, "Shishou said that sweets like dango are best eaten after or between meals. Ramen's acceptable for lunch if there's enough meat in it."

"You're one strange kid, let me tell you that," Anko-sama said.

Even though he was cut, scraped, and bruised from that sparring, Naruto's eyes still twinkled in glee. "Yes... I am."

* * *

Afternoon training was more sparring, with Naruto finally understanding just why he had been placed under this kunoichi's guidance.

She didn't have to actively project killing intent towards him for him to sense the turmoil within her as they sparred.

Not only that, after she had found out that her usual "sparring moves" were easily dispensed with, she had gradually upped the ante of her attacks.

It was when they had finished when she realized that she was pulling off taijutsu moves that she normally kept for finishing off a rather powerful foe.

This... kid... managed to keep up with her best moves and come back for more!

_But, _Anko thought, smiling even though she should be knocked down several pegs, _for all this boy's skill, he doesn't have the killer instinct we ninja use._

And instead of bragging or being smug about how skilled he was, Naruto did the unexpected after their sparring session: he bowed.

"I now know where I stand in between being a practitioner of the School and being a ninja of Konoha. Thank you."

The purple-haired kunoichi scratched the back of her head, confused. "You're welcome... I guess."

"I... I'm going to have to get used to killing, won't I?" Naruto asked. "Honestly speaking, my Shishou had me keep from killing, as much as I could. The School is... it isn't a tool for killing."

"I know what you mean, kid," Anko replied. "Anyway, in between D-Ranks, we'll work something out. Now let's go have a bite to eat."

Naruto's look brightened a bit. "All right."

Later that night (and after parting ways with her student after their meal), Mitarashi Anko still had one more stop to make before heading back home.

"Mitarashi Anko reporting for duty," she said towards the Third Hokage, upon entering the office in the Hokage Tower. Most of the office staff had left, and only the night shift guards, cleaning crew, several ANBU and the Hokage remained.

"How did it go?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.

"His taijutsu is exceptional. I had to pull out nearly all the stops. Kid's a natural, though his prior training has him without any killer instinct - he only moves to disable, not kill."

"Hence the reason why I chose you as his sensei. If we fix that part of him, he'll be ten times the force he already is... plus, his status as a 'floater' means that any genin team that needs extra manpower will benefit from his presence," the Hokage said. "Besides, based on Guy's reports on their sparring, Naruto's Master had taught him a comprehensive amount of fighting styles. He could assist anyone in their taijutsu training, seriously."

"You'll have him at the Academy, won't you?"

"Well, even the basics of the School would vastly improve our ninja's chances of survival, do they not?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

"Good... good. I can assume you're not looking forward to the requisite D-Ranks with Naruto?"

Anko nodded.

"Well, you can try to do 3 in a day. That way, you can get better missions in a week at the minimum."

"Thank you for that bit of guidance, Hokage-sama."

"Think nothing of it. I will still expect a report on these missions, though. Dismissed."

Mitarashi Anko bowed before leaving the office in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto was in his rented apartment, hunched over a scroll rolled out on the ground, with crayons and pencils strewn about him.

_This would probably make sensei's day. Maybe not, but I gotta try, _he thought, remembering Anko-sama's favorite food and that schoolmate of Tomoyo-senpai's who shared the same obsession with dango as his jonin-sensei did.

He smiled as he put the finishing touches to his work.

The very next day, Konoha General Hospital had to admit one Mitarashi Anko for acute blood loss the doctors found out was mostly expelled through the nose.

The first person who found out just why that had happened was strung up in ninja wire and left in the Forest of Death for several hours until ANBU stumbled upon his terrified form.

Chapter 5 - **End.**

**

* * *

**

Next one will be D-ranks with Anko-sama, maybe a C-rank or two, and Naruto gets to start helping out several genin with their taijutsu.

Cookies to those who figure out what happened to Anko-sama and why. :)


	6. Overprotective

_disclaimer:_ Naruto, G-Gundam, and CLANNAD are not mine.

* * *

_**Naruto: Moeagare Toushi**_

**Chapter 6: Overprotective**

* * *

After 2 weeks of nonstop D-Rank missions, it was time for one Uzumaki Naruto to begin telling his jonin-sensei just how potentially dangerous he was - not only for Konoha, but for anyone and everyone who had the personal misfortune of going against his personal code of honor.

It was through retelling of moments in battle that Mitarashi Anko realized just how powerful, bloodthirsty and destructive her student was.

Truly a child after her own heart.

According to Naruto, what took him over the edge was his strange form of chivalry and the Will of Fire (although he didn't know it yet).

That white-suited man who had his eyes on Naruto's senpai during his last "vacation tour" with his Shishou didn't die. By the time Naruto had finished with him, he wished he never had those thoughts enter his head in the first place.

Overprotective younger brothers (or _kouhai_) can be frightening.

There are 206 bones and 108 pressure points in the human body - and a practitioner of the School of the Undefeated of the East knew both "hard" and "soft" styles to do maximum damage to both bones AND pressure points, often simultaneously. This meant more theoretical work, more intelligent sparring, and the honing of the mind's flexibility that was required to switch styles seamlessly on the fly.

And it was to his senpai's horror that Uzumaki Naruto went in and saved the day, revealing to a certain Sakagami Tomoyo the power he had been warned to use only when lives were at stake.

The four underlings the criminal brought along were simply vaporized when Naruto flared the red chakra from him... there were several others, but that was what the School was for, and all the criminals save two were lying in puddles of their own blood and crap after seeing a monster in the flesh.

He turned his red eyes onto the one with the strange black object his Shishou had called a "gun". He had a basic inkling as to what it could do - but it wouldn't harm him.

Naruto sidestepped slowly, making sure that Tomoyo-senpai was clear of the line of fire.

And then... he made his move.

**"This hand of mine burns with a fearsome power," **he growled out. **"Its flaming grip tells me to end your wretched existence."**

He rushed forward, right hand wreathed with a reddish glow as he aimed to grip the black-suited grunt.

**"Spiral Crusher."**

After he grabbed onto the enemy... Naruto clenched his right hand, and everything became red.

By the time Touhou Fuhai had arrived on the scene, Naruto was already done with his dastardly work. What was worse, was that he locked in the gangster. All senses - gone. Limbs, crippled. Other bodily functions, disabled. Tomoyo, meanwhile, was still looking in the distance and covering her ears.

Somehow, even after all that, Touhou Fuhai didn't think Naruto was being merciful by sparing the man his life, and went to get their fellow schoolmate to safety.

The day after that, most organized crime syndicates in the immediate area and beyond had undergone a massive internal reorganization, getting all the sex fiends and the perverts executed posthaste.

Nobody in the Yakuza wanted to be in the target sights of those two.

* * *

When Anko heard that story, she was gleeful at the potential for mayhem her "genin" possessed, and her thoughts were filled with ways on how to maximize Naruto's abilities for the good of the village...

Right now though, Naruto was in the middle of dragging Team 10 through another "training session" that would most likely end up with the three rookie genin in the hospital.

"Whoever told you 'he who hits hardest wins the match' was lying," Naruto said as he easily caught the Nikudan Sensha with a hand, and casually deflected its course. Before Chouji could try the technique again, Naruto was on him, raining punches that weren't really at full power.

One down.

He took to the branches, moving far too quickly for the black shape to follow him.

"The biggest room in the house is room for improvement," he added as the shadow-user collapsed, his target's mobility far too much for now.

Two down.

Naruto grinned as he saw the deer-in-the-headlights look of the last member of Team 10, clutching a kunai in fear and looking like she didn't want to be there.

Tough luck.

He moved in quickly and tapped her cheek with the metal ring of his own kunai.

"And that's three," he said. "Congratulations, you guys have just died in the service of the Village Hidden in the Leaves! You will be remembered by a halfway-decent memorial service, a small donation to your next of kin, and a spot at the Memorial Stone! How about that?"

Team 10's jonin-sensei had to laugh at the little pep talk before coming down from the branch to discuss the results of that little training session.

* * *

What Naruto didn't end up telling his jonin-sensei was that the incident where he turned Tomoyo-senpai's would-be rapist into a gibbering, locked-down mass of worthlessness was that when he did it, he could feel in total harmony with the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him.

He'd asked the fox why she felt that way, and she answered it in her usual cryptic manner...

_**"You should not see bonds severed in such a manner at your young age, Naruto..." **_the fox whispered in his ear. _**"Also... it is an insult to me to see you betrayed like that... and rendered powerless..."**_

"...powerless?"

_**"Despite my power and yours... we could never really override someone else's free will. Even if we could... it would make us lower than the suited trash you disposed of, wouldn't it?"**_

He nodded, and shrugged. Who would have thought that the old fox would have a soft spot for things like this?

Upon telling his Shishou all that had happened, he immediately understood.

"You are taking on the aspects of that sealed within you," he simply said. "Kitsune are famous for having the power of infinite vision," he added, and thus began taking steps to instruct the entity in the philosophies of the School of the Undefeated of the East.

The Nine-Tailed Fox was initially skeptical that this would work, but upon seeing that even the meditation teachings were helping both her and the boy along sold her to the idea.

She couldn't help it, seeing the boy work so hard even without her help rubbed off on her...

* * *

"...so what you're saying is that you consider yourself 'on loan' to Konoha?" Anko-sensei asked.

"In certain ways," Naruto answered. "For instance, if I had to choose between my School and Konoha, I would make a decision that would be more beneficial to the School than Konoha."

"Why are you still here, then? You could have moved on to other villages, trained more apprentices..."

"I'm here for a reason, and when I find what I'm looking for, well, let's see where we go from there, eh, sensei?"

Naruto gave his jonin-sensei a genuinely happy smile.

* * *

"You waste a significant percentage of momentum going into your ball technique, whereas you could integrate it into your combat style to seamlessly change shape in the middle of the fight," Naruto began, pointing to one Akimichi Chouji. "And you, you should honestly look into a more stealth-based combat style, since you use shadows mostly. I'm thinking CQC. Lastly... you need a 'soft' style."

"Why, because I'm a kunoichi?" Yamanaka Ino asked.

"No, because psychic-type attacks work best with strikes at 'soft' points. Increases your techniques' effectivity," Naruto replied. "The boys can afford to fight cleanly, you can't. Get me?"

She nodded, remembering the series of seminars by one Mitarashi Anko on just how dangerous being a kunoichi could be. "Yeah... I get you. Anyway, why are you the only genin around here with one instructor?"

Naruto grinned. "With what you just saw, you drop the bomb that early? You also need to work on your interrogation skills; you don't pop a question like that too soon... anyway, we'll be having a lot more sparring and some more talk tomorrow. Same time, same place."

By the time Team 10 was long gone, a somber Mitarashi Anko appeared near him in a swirl of leaves.

"Naruto-kun, the Hokage requires our presence ASAP. Something important came up."

* * *

"So what you're saying is, Team 7 got hired for what would have been a routine escort mission to the Land of Waves, but it ended up with the team running into someone like Momochi Zabuza?"

"Basically, that's it."

"And our B-rank mission is to go back them up?"

"As the mission briefing says."

"To double check, lethal force is automatically authorized when applicable for all B-rank and above missions, is it not, Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked, and the Hokage had to suppress a wince at the boy's dancing eyes.

"Yes, it is."

"Cool."

The desk secretary, Anko-sensei and the Hokage had to resist the urge to facefault at that. "Just that?"

"Yeah, don't worry, Hokage-sama. Anko-sensei and I will do just fine."

"Mitarashi-san, a word with you before you go."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Naruto, get packing; we'll meet in fifteen at the front gate."

"Got it, Anko-sensei. By your leave, Hokage-sama, Iruka-sensei."

By the time the door was closed, Anko was puzzled.

"Take this with you," the Hokage began, handing a scroll over to the Special Jonin.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?" Anko asked upon reading the contents, and then grinning evilly at what that implied. "You want Konoha's other taijutsu-spec genin to learn Kage Bunshin, Hokage-sama?"

"He would have found a way to learn it, I'm just giving you the go-ahead," the Hokage answered. "Try to fit it into his training schedule, if you can. Now get moving, time is of the essence."

The purple-haired kunoichi saluted smartly before exiting the office in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

On the dot, both Anko and her student met at Konoha's gates, packed for a rapid journey to the Land of Waves - their timetable was tight, but they would make it.

Against a jonin missing-nin, several possible chunin and genin backup, and a boatload of bandits, even Team 7 wouldn't last that long.

It was this thought that teacher and student shared as they made a blistering pace towards their mission objective.

chapter 6 - **END**

**afterword: **Readers of a certain kind of prurient material will easily find out where I got the whole "Naruto manhandles gangsters" skit from, and what kind of prurient material I totally abhor even more than guro.


	7. Making Waves

_standard disclaimer rates apply. naruto, mobile fighter g-gundam, and CLANNAD are not mine._

**foreword:** still haven't gotten an outline for Chapter 7 of Twin Fates; doing this in the meantime.

*insert Oath of the School of the Undefeated of the East here*

* * *

**_Naruto: Moeagare Toushi_**

**Chapter 7: Making Waves**

* * *

It is a truth universally acknowledged in all the Elemental Countries that shinobi are paranoid 98% of the time.

The other two per cent is when they expect the worst and end up pleasantly surprised.

Such was the mood of one Mitarashi Anko and one Uzumaki Naruto as they found out that the client from Wave who hired Team 7 was alive, well, and working on the bridge while being guarded by one Uchiha Sasuke.

"Ah, greetings," Sasuke said, tension leaving him as he sensed that yes, these were friendlies. "Hustle much in getting here?"

"As much hustling as going for two days and nights straight can be; tell me, where's the rest of your team? The pinkette and goffik boy?"

"Sakura's training with Sai; sensei's at Tazuna's place, getting some care from Tsunami-san."

"She'll have another one on her platter soon... sensei?" Naruto asked.

Too bad, Anko never got to hear that as she was leaning on the tree and already asleep.

Naruto simply sighed.

"You know Mizu Bunshin or something?" Naruto asked.

"Copied it back on our first big fight landing here; why do you ask?"

"Make one or two, gimme an assist; we literally hauled ass to get here."

Sasuke smirked before going into hand seals and went towards his fellow genin.

* * *

"So let me get this straight, you guys run into a pair of missing-nin from Kiri, and then some dude with an over-sized cleaver known as the Demon of the Mist not long after that?" Naruto asked.

"That's right."

"And then right after you guys barely manage to drive said Demon of the Mist off, your sensei overuses his chakra and has to rest in bed for five or six days?"

"Uh-huh."

"What's worse, goffik boy here is actually more than your average genin?"

"Could you tone it down a bit? Hatake-san and Mitarashi-san need to rest," a voice called from the kitchen.

"Sorry. As I was saying..." Naruto continued, "your sensei figures out that the Demon of the Mist is gonna make a comeback soon, and got you guys into a training regimen to get ready for him?"

"Pretty much," the goffik boy (whose name was Sai, Naruto learned earlier) replied, confirming Naruto's re-enacment of the events that brought them here.

"So what we have are one jonin, one special jonin who will only probably be at a hundred percent by the time the comeback rolls around..."

"Uh..." the pinkette (_no, Sakura, _Naruto corrected himself) interrupted. "How do you know that they'll be up and about in roughly the same time?"

"It's best you don't worry about that for now; all you should know is that these things tend to happen - the universe tends to unfold as it should. Going back to the list, we have a jonin, special jonin..."

"...I'm mid- to high-chunin level, if you need to know," Sai said.

"Mid- to high genin here," Sasuke added.

"Low- to mid genin," Sakura said.

"And I'm your ace in the hole," Naruto finished, cheekily grinning as he pocketed the Konohagakure forehead protector and put on the one for Uzushiogakure.

"Come to think of it..." Sakura mused upon seeing the forehead protector of a long-dead Hidden Village, "how did you get that?"

"That..." Naruto answered, "is a secret. Now I'm gonna take over from Sai so he can either do guard duty or scout around; I'm gonna be taking over your training from here on out."

* * *

"Of all the jonin to get stuck with, why'd I have to end up with a porn fiend?" Mitarashi Anko asked no one in particular.

While Naruto's stories about just how destructive he could get didn't exactly convince her, the two-day rush to Wave Country did.

For the love of Izanagi and Izanami, there was a two-mile stretch where the bridge had gone, and Naruto had to carry her bridal-style and make a mad dash across the water all the way to Wave, ignoring her protests.

By the time they had arrived, she had been blown out of her mind. Might Guy was probably the only shinobi she knew who could water-walk without the aid of chakra, but that was only in small bursts.

Naruto ran on the water with little or no chakra use whatsoever.

Still, when they arrived, he looked like he could still go several rounds, while she was drained keeping the Curse Seal at bay.

He did, of course, apologize for having a hand firmly planted on her ass the whole time - "I'd have dropped you in my haste", he explained.

And based on what the kids had been talking about, she needed to get rested up - things would most likely come to a head in the next few days...

* * *

"Oh, come the hell on!" Naruto exclaimed. This was not the first time he'd knocked the pink-haired girl out with a by-the-book body blow. It didn't even graze the liver, the shot he threw was specifically made to scatter the force of the blow along the target's rectus abdominis and the obliques.

It was one of his shishou's favorite training tricks - throw blows that, upon impact, scatter their force along a wide area of the target, allowing you to throw stronger shots without killing, maiming, or otherwise injuring your training partner.

He had to resist the urge to palm his face in disgust. The last time, he threw a straight left that was made to ripple along the neck and shoulder muscles, but it ended up nearly breaking Sakura's jaw.

All of them were thankful that it was just a jab, otherwise they'd be ridiculously undermanned.

In the meantime, while waiting for Sakura to come to, Naruto had Sasuke do those tree-walking exercises while he meditated, thinking about what to do with his fellow graduates.

Team 10 needed a lot of help individually, but their teamwork was top-notch; all Chouji needed was to avoid telegraphing his techniques, Shikamaru needed a fall-back set of skills for when his shadow binding wouldn't cut it, and Ino needed a supplementary style for her clan-based techniques.

About Team 8, they were pretty good too, but Kiba needed to be tempered, Shino needed more unpredictability, and Hinata... Hinata needed a spine badly, as her taijutsu style was only around thirty per cent efficient because of her mind set.

_Whoever says that the kind have no business being shinobi are sorely mistaken, _Naruto thought as he was sorting through his list of ways to get the Hyuuga girl to reconcile her beliefs with her career. It is the kindest ones who are the most dangerous, for they wish to avoid inflicting further pain by ensuring that the first shot they land is lethal.

Team 7... well, Sai was great, Sasuke was growing in leaps and bounds thanks to the Sharingan... but Sakura...

...poor Sakura.

Naruto had to shake his head. Book smarts were fine, but the school of hard knocks would knock you on your ass if you but gave it a chance.

He also saw that her Academy-level taijutsu was - though powerful for someone of her build - woefully stiff, predictable, and had more holes in it than Mitarashi-sensei's fishnets.

Gritting his teeth, he decided that he'd bring the pinkette up to speed with the others. No sense in leaving one behind when everyone was doing so well in their training with him.

"Hey, got up to halfway!" Naruto heard Sasuke on a tree.

"Awesome," Naruto replied, opening his eyes and smiling. "How about a light spar before Sakura wakes up?"

"You're still trying to get her to be stronger?" Sasuke asked after descending from the tree. "The only reason she's here is because of me."

Naruto shrugged. "Her reasons for being a shinobi are irrelevant. What we're here for is to make sure she doesn't come back to Konoha in a match box. Speaking of which, why aren't you encouraging her?"

"She'll just get more insufferable."

"You haven't tried it, haven't you?"

That question got the Uchiha uneasy.

"Hn."

"Got you there."

* * *

For a certain ice-using ninja, it was truly a spectacle to behold.

A young man was doing martial arts katas on top of the lake, carefully moving and executing the stances in steady and graceful steps.

Haku had planned to gather intel on the ninja who drove Zabuza into retreat and gather some herbs to facilitate his recovery, but was sidetracked upon seeing the figure and his easy movements.

_That's unlike any taijutsu school I've ever seen or heard of, _Haku thought. _The Gentle Fist of Konoha uses similar movements, but not as graceful as this. It is almost as if it was a dance..._

A small gust of wind blew the morning mist onto the lake, shrouding it...

"...like what you saw?"

Haku tensed.

"Who's there?"

"It's not like I couldn't sense your presence. Did I put up a good enough show for you?"

_Damn, I left my weapons back there..._

A young man wearing a charcoal gray jumpsuit with a t-shirt over it walked into view, the strange symbol on his forehead protector confusing the ice-user.

"That symbol... your village should not exist anymore."

"So they say," the young man answered, smiling and revealing his blonde hair and whisker-marked cheeks, "so they say... but I'm here right now, aren't I?"

"You must be a shinobi, then."

"...among other things. Might I ask what that basket is for?"

"Herbs... for a person precious to me."

_Probably Momochi Zabuza._

"This precious person of yours - those herbs you're getting, they're pretty potent - what happened to him or her?"

"Work-related trouble, he got hurt pretty badly."

_**Definitely **Momochi Zabuza. This must be the fake hunter-nin, then._

"He must be rather precious to you if you're taking the time to do that on his behalf, do you not?"

Haku's eyes couldn't help but twinkle. "Yes... yes, it does. Having someone precious to you can give you the strength to do anything... anything to protect them."

"True... but then again, I haven't found exactly who or what I want to protect here."

_Tomoyo-senpai. If we meet each other again, please don't look at me with fear in your eyes._

"You have people precious to you?"

"Who doesn't?" Naruto answered, chuckling at some private joke. "But... the people precious to me can protect themselves... for the most part."

**_How about me?_**

_I'm keeping our agreement secret... that's how I can protect you. Besides, few know of my return here._

**_You've seen it, haven't you? The near future can grow dire._**

_Not if we've prepared for the worst._

"...excuse me?"

"Sorry, got lost in thought for a bit. Anyway, I've got places to go, people to see, things to do. Maybe we'll meet each other again."

Before he could turn and go, the fake hunter-nin asked him one last question.

"My name is Haku. What is yours?"

"Just call me Naruto."

He had taken several steps away when Haku called out to him.

"And just so you know, I'm a guy!"

Both Naruto and the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox could not help but execute a simultaneous facefault at that declaration - sometimes, having infinite vision ended up not helping, especially around ambiguous things, persons and genders...

* * *

"Whoa! You really are awesome!" Inari exclaimed, looking at a panting but smiling Haruno Sakura as she stood over two would-be attackers; one was unconscious from a hit to the head, the other dead from where a roundhouse kick thrown broke his neck.

"Thanks, but Naruto gets most of the credit for this one!" Sakura replied. "Go get help, Gato might bring in reinforcements! I'll go back my team up!"

"Sure thing!"

Meanwhile, the conflict at the bridge was about to be resolved in the most anticlimactic way possible, as Gato and his thugs were intercepted by a gray jumpsuit-wearing kid whose eyes glowed red when angry.

**_He hires them, and then he kills them - that's how he saves his money. Dishonorable bastard. Make his last moments hell on earth._**

_What about his fortune?_

**_That Zabuza - though reduced to this, still means well. His intentions are to stop the bloodline killing in Kirigakure._**

_What about that whole "slaughtering all his Academy classmates" thing?_

**_He wanted to make a statement. I have to admit, it takes a very strong man to take on that stigma, all to have them change that graduation ritual._**

_So... we wipe Gato out and give his fortune to this Zabuza fellow?_

**_...it's the best thing we can do for both sides._**

_That's as good enough for me._

Back at the bridge, Haku was about to turn Sai and Sasuke into pincushions while Kakashi had his Raikiri at the ready to strike a tied-up-by-Anko's-snakes Zabuza... when a humongous explosion in the distance rocked the bridge, rattling everyone.

After all of the combatants got their wits back together, something came sailing in the air.

Momochi Zabuza caught the thing, only to gaze at it for a good few seconds before juggling it in his hands in consternation and passing it to Kakashi.

Kakashi's exposed Sharingan eye caught it in full, gory detail - Gato's burned-off head - so he tossed it over to Anko before pulling his headband back down over his eyes, thinking about what kind of technique would do such catastrophic damage, and also about coconuts, strangely.

Anko was all "Ooh...", cooing over the severed head. Several rather awkward moments passed between the gathered shinobi before a familiar sight walked through the mist.

"There, that solves everything, right?" Naruto asked. "With the person to hire you guys offed, that means you don't have any reason to try and off the bridge builder."

Kakashi just had to scratch his head while Anko shook hers, all the while looking for a storage scroll to put a certain severed head in.

Zabuza shrugged before stylishly returning his sword to its specially-made shoulder sheath, trying to salvage his cool from that little thing about a severed head awhile ago.

"Haku, bring the mirrors down, we're collecting and leaving."

Thus it was that Team 7 succeeded in their mission in the most outlandish of ways, and was on their way back to Konoha.

Meanwhile, Uzumaki Naruto was still puzzled over the near reverence the Demon of the Mist showed him upon seeing his forehead protector and learning his last name.

_Maybe he knows about my family, _he thought. _I should drop by Kirigakure and see how he's doing - maybe the Hokage will let me have a long-term mission there, and I'll start to get the answers I'm seeking._

**_You should also consider the possibility that you won't like what you end up seeing, child._**

_Yes, that much is true... but with the visions I see, I've already begun preparing for whatever might happen._

**_Meanwhile, you should bolster your comrades' strengths. We will be dragged into the quagmire of Konoha's affairs soon enough, whether we like it or not._**

_You still haven't told me your grudge against Konoha._

**_In time, young one, in time. When you have reached a level of strength equal to that of the one you call Might Guy, perhaps I shall tell you._**

_Good enough for me._

The journey back to Konoha was thus uneventful, but it seemed like the calm before the storm...

...and the scroll containing one of Konoha's high-ranking techniques still remained in Mitarashi Anko's possession, unopened and unused...

Chapter 7 - **end**

**author's note: **you thought he was gonna learn Kage Bunshin, eh? Wrong. :p


	8. Bonding Time

_disclaimer:_ you know it. :)

Again, I'm hitting a block on Twin Fates. Also, in my opinion, Force is rapidly becoming a trainwreck.

Not that this story or chapter has anything to do with that, but meh.

Anyway, here's Chapter 8.

* * *

_**Naruto: Moeagare Toushi**_

**Chapter 8: Bonding Time**

**

* * *

**

"Sakura, the book says that it's really bad manners to stuff your mouth like that," a distressed Sai began as he looked sidelong to his kunoichi teammate, currently in the midst of shoveling food down in an alarmingly fast pace.

"Relax, Sai," Naruto said between bites, "this is a boodle fight. All table manners go during this meal. **HEY!** That was my chicken leg!"

"Hn." _How does he do that with his mouth full?_

Even while Team 7 and Team Anko were returning to Konoha, a marked change had come over the pink-haired genin - gone were the dieting, the fawning over her Sasuke-kun, everything.

The little she learned under her fellow genin had proved to be the deciding factor that saved her from a horrible death by sword, and the experience had begun the process of healing the rift between what she perceived to be "Sasuke's ideal woman" and who she was.

By the time of their return, Sakura had taken the time she could to train with the blonde genin - he evidently knew an awful lot of taijutsu and didn't hesitate to share what he knew with her.

He even shared taijutsu tips with everyone in their graduating batch, if the rumors were true.

And to celebrate his batch's first successful C-Rank (and above), Naruto put together the Rookie 12's first ever boodle fight (note 1).

What wasn't surprising was that Rock Lee and Akimichi Chouji were in a heated contest as to who could eat more in that sitting.

What was surprising was (aside from Lee and Chouji's jonin-sensei going on their own eating duel) that the formerly figure-conscious Sakura was out-eating the kunoichi gathered today, as she had been doing for the past few weeks.

"Aren't you on a diet or something?" Ino asked her in between bites.

"'M a kunoichi," Sakura replied, "we don'ff diet."

While the eating and merrymaking was going on, Naruto couldn't help but notice the baleful glares Hyuuga Neji kept throwing at his cousin, who was trying to focus on her food and nothing else.

He sighed. _More drama to deal with. This is the third boodle I put together, and he's still pissed at Hinata._

As he grabbed a chunk of roast pork, he decided to bring up the topic the next time he was scheduled to help Team 8 out with their taijutsu.

What surprised him was that despite the misgivings of their jonin-sensei, they still seemed to let Naruto continue helping their genin out. The Hokage had Anko-sensei on tap for... something, but when asked, the trenchcoat-clad special jonin changed the subject. This meant that Naruto had a lot more time as a "floater" as of the last few weeks.

And despite the jonin-sensei being apprehensive about joining their genin in this... boodle fight, all of them found it a very rewarding experience when it was done.

_Maybe that's why the Hokage gave his go-ahead when I asked him if I could make this bi-weekly or something,_ Naruto thought. _He even insisted I do this on the teams' day off, weekly._

As his fellow genin shared stories, washed down the meal, and picked at the last bits of food on the leaf-lined table, Naruto had to hide a smile. _Thank Shishou's travels for giving me this idea._

_

* * *

_

"Okay!"

He had left Team 8 as a sweating mess - again.

This time, though, their form was a lot better and their teamwork was more efficient. Even Hinata showed some improvement in being slightly more aggressive.

"Say, Hinata..." he began just as they were going through the standard list of cool-down exercises. "I've noticed that cousin of yours... Neji? He's been giving you nasty looks every time the teams get together."

She looked away.

He shrugged. "What did you do to him that got him all worked up like that? Burned his homework?"

She shook her head.

Naruto tilted his head to the side a bit while doing his own cool-down kata. "Cost him top rookie honors?"

She shook her head again.

"Kicked his puppy or something?"

She shook her head once more.

"Okay, I give up."

"...you'll have to ask him yourself," was Hinata's whispered response.

"That I shall," Naruto answered. _After I spar with Team Guy. Hope he won't be too sore just in case Neji won't see reason._

The rest of the day's activities passed without incident.

* * *

In between helping out his fellow genin, he was training hard. But as Naruto went through the more advanced moves of his School, deep inside he was rather frustrated at his inability to work with the other two branches of ninja arts.

_**I'll have to apologize to you for that,**_ the voice inside him said.

_Why?_

_**Having me sealed within you gives you tremendous chakra capacity, but not the control.**_

_Well, that's just another bump in the road. Do you have any "heavy" techniques I could use?_

_**There's my Imari, but since you can't even focus your chakra to a usable level yet, we'll put that on hold for the meantime.**_

_That sucks._

_**There, there. It's not like your time here is short. You've been doing a lot of good for your fellows - a lot of good that will only get better in the long run.  
**_

_Though I wonder - what's eating Neji? Guy's been staring daggers at his cousin. He's nice and formal when we spar, but it's like he turns into someone else when Hinata's around._

_**She told you to ask him why, right?**_

_Yes, she did._

_**And now you focus on how to broach the subject to Neji without turning him into that kind of person - pretty good. You may not be able to use chakra yet, but you're making progress in thinking like a ninja.**_

_Thanks._

_**Ohhhh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho. You never cease to entertain me, young one.**_

_I live to provide you amusement._

_**And protection, too.**_

_What would you need protection from, my lady?_

_**Another story for another time. I shall take a nap.**_

_Very well._

_

* * *

_

Might Guy and Rock Lee were currently talking about using an opponent's speed against him with Tenten, which left Uzumaki Naruto with one Hyuuga Neji in their training ground's designated sparring area.

If you asked Neji what his personal opinion of this upstart genin was, he didn't have a good one. Still, he had to admit that Naruto was damn good at taijutsu - almost a blonde copy of Guy-sensei that wasn't all catch phrases.

The question he asked during a lull in their sparring, though, changed all of that.

"What's your beef with Hinata?" Naruto simply asked.

Neji charged. "It's a long, bloody story."

"I'm in the mood for a long, bloody epic. Try me."

So, in between blows, Neji let the sad tale unfold: his father being made into a sacrificial goat for the Main House, leading him to hate everyone there (note 2).

As Naruto recovered from being flung into the air by the impact of Neji's twin palm thrust, he asked one question.

"Did Hinata do anything directly to deserve your hate?"

Neji slowly shook his head no.

"That's what I thought," Naruto said as he charged back in as he felt himself switch onto "colossal ham in the vein of Shishou" mode.

He dodged the finger strike meant for a shoulder and countered with his own palm strike, sending Neji backwards.

**"YOU FOOL!"** Naruto yelled. "For all your skill, talent and genius, you do not see what is in front of you!"

"All I see is a raving lunatic," Neji muttered.

"Seriously, that anger of yours is making you inefficient," Naruto replied, his voice softening. "I'm not one to mince words, but it seems you're pissed at Hinata because you're expecting her to be just like those Main House people who condemned your father to death."

"...but she isn't," Neji said.

"And that's what angers you," Naruto said. "If you want to know what's in your dear cousin's heart, fight her. As my good Master said, the best warriors convey their feelings through their fists."

Neji grinned.

"What if I find out that she really is different than all the Main House Hyuuga?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe that's a good thing. All I know is how to fight."

"Indeed."

The two shared a laugh as the rest of Team Guy went towards them for their turn to spar.

* * *

"Hokage-sama, if I must ask for a boon from you..." Naruto began. He had been invited to a meeting between the jonin-sensei and Anko-san regarding the Chunin Selection exams. "...it's that the timing for these exams is a bit too early. I still haven't gotten the genin to be entered ready enough for this."

"You've spent five weeks since returning from Wave in training them, I think that's more than enough time."

"Hokage-sama..." Naruto tried to argue further, but could say no more. "Of course." _Silly me. It's not as if these things were planned months in advance, only for one well-meaning genin to push it back a couple more weeks, of course..._

"Once that's settled, let us now begin the nomination of genin squads for this year's Chunin Selection..."

Naruto could only look outside the window of the Hokage's tower, a hand in his pocket grasping the symbol of Hidden Whirpool, and hope that the ill feeling in the bottom of his stomach was just some bad milk.

"...Naruto!"

"Oh!" he said with a start. "Yes, Anko-sensei?"

"You'll help me out on the second leg of the exam."

"Sounds good. What do I do?"

"For starters, we'll..."

And Naruto received his instructions on what to do the day after tomorrow...

Chapter 8 - **END**

**

* * *

**

**a/n: **If any of you are wondering why the story isn't getting dark, it's because of two things: one, Naruto is a disciple of Master Asia - of course he's going to be ridiculously overpowered - and two, he's a lot more independent of Konoha than most people assume, and the higher-ups who deal with him know this and act accordingly.

The story will start to take a darker turn but will remain rather idealistic; it will only be during the Tsunade Retrieval arc that Naruto comes in contact with the darker side of ninja life.

(note 1:) A boodle fight is a communal meal where everything (rice, viand, sauce, noodles, etc.) is thrown on top of a stack of banana leaves, and everything must be eaten by hand. It is an extraordinary bonding experience.

(note 2:) You guys already know most of this, so why should I write down the whole damned thing?

(note 3:) I read this doujinshi once featuring Tomoyo under that piece-of-shit genre. So - I had Naruto utterly **destroy** him on my behalf. Ain't I a stinker? (This is one reason why Tomoyo hates him. Next chapter will reveal the other reason.)


	9. Down to Earth

_Disclaimer:_ Naruto is not mine.

* * *

_**Moeagare Toushi**_

**Chapter 9: Down to Earth**

* * *

**_It's not a good thing to keep moping like this, Naruto._**

_And why shouldn't I? I used nearly all of my tricks and didn't do jack shit._

**_Keep thinking that way and I'll keep this up. I have the time, you don't._**

_Okay, I'm sorry. It's just that..._

**_...it, in your own language, sucks to lose, doesn't it?_**

_Yes, my lady._

**_You just drew the short end of the stick that time, child. Maybe this incident will open their eyes and give you something your kind call ninjutsu to learn._**

_Well, our situation would make it... complicated. Maybe that's why I stuck with martial arts._

**_It is a good thing that I was able to give you the assist, was it not?_**

_...yes, my lady. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't..._

**_...hush, child. Someone comes._**

"So, Naruto - you've awoken at last," declared the Third Hokage as he entered the hospital room. "I must say that you continue to exceed everyone's expectations of you."

"What do you mean, sir?" Naruto asked.

"Well, if it wasn't for your interference, your sensei would have been in worse, and the Uchiha would have been marked."

_Oh yeah,_ Naruto thought. _That seven-time loser with the glasses kept referring to "HVT (high value target) to be marked" while signalling his teammates. Something was off with him so I had my suspicions noted down - wait, those ninja went through my clothes!_

He huffed with indignation at his treatment. "You're welcome, I guess, sir... but that jumpsuit is customized for me. It's a shame they have to destroy it."

"You don't need to worry about that," the Hokage replied. "As loath as Might Guy was to make something that wasn't his shade of green, he had five dark gray ones made to your specifications."

"That's a relief," Naruto said with a grin.

A minute passed by before the Hokage straightened up in his seat.

"Oh! Your sensei was supposed to give you this," he said as he handed Naruto a scroll. "Chakra paper, control exercises, and a jutsu I'm sure someone of your extraordinary circumstances can put to good use... of course, you'll want to start working on them tomorrow, as I've asked the staff to discharge you then."

"All right, sir," Naruto answered.

"Consider this your time off. Tomorrow, I'm sure you'll be back to your usual grind."

"Again, my thanks to this boon, Hokage-sama," Naruto said, bowing his head towards the old Hokage.

The sight of Naruto looking both frustrated and like he wanted to strangle his wayward student seemed to sadden the Third; by all accounts he put up a wonderful fight but was ultimately subdued by Orochimaru's trademark ninjutsu slinging and snake summons.

Too bad for him, as Naruto stalling the rogue ninja was all Team 7 needed to make a hasty retreat... so while the boy lost the battle, he won the war for Konoha, so to speak.

The Hokage left the convalescing boy to his thoughts, and looked forward to preparing for the inevitable clash with his former prized student.

* * *

Meanwhile, as night wore on in the hospital, Uzumaki Naruto looked outside the window to the moonlit night outside.

It was a beautiful night to remember recent events.

_"You had no right."_

_He reeled from the slap, but more from surprise and shock than from pain._

_"You had no right to tell him!"_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"I came here because I wanted to get away from people who do things behind my back because they think they know better - and you, of all people, go ahead and do something like this!"_

_He faced her angry eyes with his own._

_"You don't need Okazaki-san. Not the way Furukawa-san does."_

_"Is that what you told Tomoya?"_

_"I told him what he needed to hear. Do you think Furukawa-san will get over it that quickly or easily if he chose you instead of h-"_

_Naruto's statement was cut short as he was subjected to a vicious right cross from the silver-haired girl._

_He grinned despite his bloody nose, spat out a loose tooth, and continued. "...as I was saying... you know how it is. The strong take from the weak and the weak can't do nothing about it. Isn't that why you... no, we joined the School?"_

_"It isn't fair..."_

_"...I know to you it isn't, but even I'm not sure that Okazaki-san's love is enough for Furukawa-san."_

_"Why do you always have to be so correct?"_

_He smiled a bloody grin. "Who says I came up with this on my own?"_

_The boy closed his eyes as he focused, the seal on his stomach lighting up. Sakagami Tomoyo had to take a step back at the power flaring from him._

_"That's... that's... that's not supposed to be possible..." she said, fear creeping into her voice. "I thought... that time with those men... that was your power..."_

_"No," Naruto replied, opening his eyes once more, revealing that his blue eyes had now turned red... slitted. "Not just mine."_

_Tomoyo could have sworn she saw a woman's shadow behind the boy, but dismissed it as a trick of the light._

_"I've been shown so many things," Naruto added, his voice beginning to thicken, "and I don't want you or your friends to be mixed up in all of it... it never ends well. It never does."_

_He wept. Oh, if only Tomoyo could see that every step forward carried with it the risk of something... catastrophic._

_The day after that, she politely (hah!) kept her distance, and Uzumaki Naruto, for the very first time in his life, felt his heart break for his senpai in the School._

Away from his contemporaries, sensei, medic-nin and others, Uzumaki Naruto cried himself to sleep over choosing the lesser evil._  
_

* * *

The very next day, he was released from the hospital to begin training anew.

After stopping by his place for a shower, a change to his training clothes and breakfast, he began the walk towards his training ground. And during the trip, he turned his voice inward...

_Kyuubi._

**_Yes?_**

_...I'd like to apologize._

**_...what would you want to apologize about? She didn't know your burden. Next to no one here knows. They all think it's part of your martial arts training._**

_...In a long and roundabout way, yes it is. Still, I want to apologize. Back then with Tomoyo-senpai and her friends. I jumped the gun._

**_Because you saw that the only way she and that Okazaki fellow would end was in betrayal, heartbreak and death, wasn't it?_**

_When I remember seeing what happens with Okazaki-san and Furukawa-san, that seemed more like a story._

**_A story, child?_**

_You know... a story. Where they had to fight for their own happy ending._

**_Will I have my own happy ending, I wonder?_**

_Kyuubi... if I'll find your happy ending by fighting for my own... then that's enough for me._

**_...thank you. Apology accepted. I've begun modifying your chakra coils to use the lower-level ninjutsu and control techniques._**

_You're welcome._

A sultry laugh faded into silence as Naruto reached the training ground. After taking a seat on the grass Naruto opened the scrolls to see manuals on leaf floating, tree walking, water walking, and a strange square of paper that had "Channel some chakra through me!" written on it.

With nothing to lose, Naruto did... and yelped as the square of paper was suddenly sliced by an invisible hand into confetti.

As the pieces fluttered onto the opened scroll, another bunch of scrolls opened up, this time, ones with green and marked with the symbol of Wind.

After scanning the scrolls Naruto turned to the last one.

_Hmm, this is strange..._ Naruto thought. _"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu", "chakra-intensive", "memory retention"... this could work._

He put his hands into the seals, molded some chakra and bellowed out the name... and grinned.

Facing him was a pair of identical copies of himself.

"Sweet," the original said.

"You could use more chakra for more of us," a clone said.

"Yep, the more, the merrier," the other clone said.

"I don't think so, kids," the original replied. "I'll be taking this slow so you guys better earn your keep."

"But reading's so... so boring!" one clone complained.

"I thought we'd be sparring," the other clone added.

"Suck it up," the original replied. "Otherwise, you guys go poof. Now let's get going. I want to at least get Wind molding and tree-walking done by day's end."

The two clones nodded and picked up their respective scrolls.

_That snakey bastard showed me just how far I need to go..._ Naruto told himself. _Next time we meet I'm chopping off his scaly head._

The month passed uneventfully for Naruto (except for his exceptional strides he took when training, but is that anything new?), with the only light in the ennui his visit to Anko-sensei in the hospital.

"Sorry I couldn't oversee your training, kiddo," she said as the medics continued their scanning of her chakra coils.

"It's no problem, sensei," Naruto replied. "I've made a few advances myself."

"I was going to give you a scroll that had a useful jutsu for you, given your... problem..."

"Kage Bunshin?" Naruto asked. "Thanks, but the Hokage already gave it to me, along with enough stuff to train for up until the Chunin Exam finals."

"Speaking of the finals," Anko said, "You'd do well to keep an eye out. One of the finalists from Sunagakure started some drama here. Nearly killed that genin he maimed if not for his sensei showing up."

"Who was it?"

"Sai. You know, the ink-user, wears black."

"Ah, the goffik fellow."

"It's not him you should worry about. The redhead is dangerous. Make sure to tell the finalists so."

"Is that a mission, sensei?"

"No... consider it a favor to me."

"As you wish."

How her student had managed to keep a straight face while being subjected to a full view of her bare back was something Anko couldn't wrap her finger around, even after she was released from the hospital with a full week to spare before the Chunin Exam finals.

* * *

Thankfully, Naruto didn't run into Orochimaru when that invasion came.

Unfortunately, for a large contingent of Sunagakure and Otogakure ninja, they had to run into him.

After he literally plowed through a bunch of them, one particularly loud and cocky Oto-nin decided to run his mouth.

"Who cares how strong this bastard is? There's only one of him and a lot of us. Let's finish him!"

He had to do that too late as the blonde kid put his hands in a cross seal and then deliver a patented School of the Undefeated of the East ass-whooping... several hundred times over.

* * *

She found him at the ramen stand.

"Hey."

"Hello, sensei."

Mitarashi Anko took a seat, pointed at the Shrimp Ramen, signed for one bowl, and turned to her student.

"The Hokage insisted on this, you know."

"Sure, he did," Naruto said. "Look what happened."

"We only lost 5% of our active forces, sent them packing... and a lot of it was due to your intervention, kid. You should be proud."

"Why'd he do it?"

She sighed. "That m-Orochimaru was, once upon a time, his student."

He turned his head toward her, showing eyes that were red from crying. "Really?"

"I'm sure that he also did it to make sure that no one would be caught in the crossfire. That bastard was always so full of himself. Hokage-sama played to his vanity easily."

Naruto chuckled.

"Anyway, they'll be done selecting a new Hokage in awhile. I wonder who'll it be?"

"Hope whoever it is doesn't change my contract," Naruto said. "Until I know my heritage... I'll do what I can here."

"That's the spirit!"

* * *

The very next day, both Mitarashi Anko and her "student" Uzumaki Naruto were called to the Hokage's Tower...

...and were totally blindsided as they were nearly beaned in the face by a jonin and chunin vest, respectively.

"Kakashi was incapacitated during the invasion, you'll handle Team 7 for the meantime," an old man who Naruto guessed was a colleague of the late Hokage-sama said.

"What about me?" Naruto asked.

"You'll be coming with me, chunin," a white-haired ninja with the most conspicuous red-and-gray outfit - ever - told him. "The council took a vote to elect the next Hokage and selected my contemporary Senju Tsunade. I've been tasked to bring her back here."

"All right, sir... may I know who I'll be escorting?" Naruto asked.

"You can call me Jiraiya. Now, let's be off."

* * *

Chapter 9 - **End**

a/n: Yeah, we'll see a retrieval arc and after that, the fur is really going to fly.


	10. Wind of Change

_**disclaimer:**_ Look, the East is burning red!

* * *

_**Naruto: Moeagare Toushi**_

**Chapter 10: Wind of Change**

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto, journeyman practicioner of the School of the Undefeated of the East and genin - no, make that **CHUNIN** - of Konohagakure, was currently circulating chakra within a water balloon as he walked with the famous Toad Sage Jiraiya.

They had just gone through one of their most harrowing experiences ever, and decided to just gloss over it by simply having the older man teach him a so-far-unnamed ninjutsu.

Escaping by the skin of your teeth from two of the infamous Akatsuki tends to do that.

* * *

"You are Uzumaki Naruto, correct?"

Anyone living in this day and age would think of such a question as a bad thing... so by the time the blond turned around, the Konoha forehead protector had been swapped out for the Uzugakure one.

"You got the first part right, as my last name is Uzumaki... but Naruto? The ramen topping?" he asked incredulously.

Two unknown persons with black cloaks and straw hats stood in front of him, expressionless. This wasn't good.

"The name's Nagato, not Naruto," the boy continued, lying through his teeth in front of these unknown assailants - seriously, their choice of wardrobe was all that needed to be said, you do not travel with something that conspicuous unless you can take all comers and win - all the while wondering where the hell that old Sage went. "Seriously, what kind of nimrod would name their kid Naruto?"

"I should just break his legs instead," the bigger one of the two cloaked men said, "he won't need them anyway."

"Not at the moment," the smaller one replied. "We still have questions that need-"

**"ITACHI!"** a yell from nowhere came, as Naruto's fellow genin Uchiha Sasuke went charging in, Sharingan eyes blazing and Chidori crackling in his hand.

Naruto sighed, as if things wouldn't get any worse. _First Jiraiya-sama has to go off to the red-lantern district at half-past one in the afternoon to probably relieve a little frustration, these suspicious types show up and now this. Today is starting to end up as one of my worst days ever._

In a move that surprised everyone, he went in the Uchiha's path and in one smooth movement took up a stance and spin-kicked him into the wall, knocking him out.

By the time the cloaked men figured out what was going on, the black-wearing genin had already slumped to the floor and the Uzumaki had spun to face them, rolling to an unorthodox fighting stance.

"Sorry about that," Naruto said. "I might have been a bad influence on him. Lack of subtlety, charging in, being loud, total un-ninja stuff like that."

"Indeed," Itachi concurred, "so, shall you follow us quietly? Or do I have to resort to similar measures?"

"Forget it," Naruto replied, tightening his fighting stance and keeping his eyes on his would-be foe's foot. "Fancy a little scrim, then... Itachi-san? You and me, mano-a-mano. If you win, I'll bring myself in. If I win, you guys just leave. Fair enough?"

"A decent suggestion," the missing-nin answered. "What makes you think-"

A quick jab that connected with his face stopped him short, propelling him backwards a short distance.

"Interesting... and right in the middle of my monologuing, too. Kisame, stay out of this. This boy is mine," Itachi began, his black eyes blazing to red as he palmed a kunai.

"All right," the larger man answered, finding a stool nearby and taking a seat to watch the proceedings. "But if you get in trouble, we follow MY plan - break the boy's legs and haul him with us."

* * *

By the time the two missing-nin had made their escape, Uchiha Sasuke was beside himself with shock, surprise, and disbelief.

_I picked a fight with Naruto._

_I picked a fight with Naruto, who managed to keep up with **that man**._

_I picked a fight with Naruto, who managed to keep up with **that man** and get a few good hits in._

_I picked a fight with Naruto, who managed to keep up with **that man,** get a few good hits in, and I haven't been splattered across a training ground yet._

_What the hell kind of skills does this... ham have anyway?_

He had returned to consciousness painfully, and when he sat up, his eyes turned on by instinct, catching the blurs of movement as Naruto and... that man... were fighting each other.

"Finally, kid. That boy has a mean kick to knock you out for that long," a voice said - when Sasuke turned, he saw the other missing-nin seated and calmly observing the fight.

"Mist?" he asked, seeing the scratched-through forehead protector and the blue skin.

"Yeah. Anyway, I've never seen Itachi enjoy himself so much. It's a shame we have to string the boy up when this is over."

"...Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"You have all the subtlety of a flying brick, you know!" Naruto's voice yelled back at him as he feinted with a few jabs and spun around to try and disorient his foe. "I'll beat some sense of subtlety into you next time if we survive this, Sasuke!"

Meanwhile, Itachi used too much momentum in trying to keep up with his opponent, as a sudden change of direction had Naruto in front of him, crouched for a rising thrust kick, which connected with an audible snap to the missing-nin's chin...

...only for his opponent to dissolve into a flock of ravens and a cracked log after crashing through the ceiling.

A kunai slash would have cut his spine, but Naruto had swapped as well, dashing towards his target even before the puff of smoke revealed the chair he used for the kawarimi.

Itachi predicted another incoming kick, and calculated the perfect counterattack - his kunai flashed as the extended leg came towards him, ripping the gray bodysuit... only to bounce off chakra-enhanced bandages around the boy's legs.

This time, the moment of surprise at that revelation was what gave Naruto the chance to move in close and land a double palm thrust to send Itachi skidding back.

They both rolled into more comfortable fighting stances, smiling at the technique each showed the other.

"Not bad," the rogue nin said. "Not too bad at all."

"You're not too bad yourself," Naruto replied, "they didn't give you that S-rank bingo book rating for nothing."

Itachi was about to launch himself towards the boy once more when everything around them turned an odd shade of pink.

"About damn time you got here, Toad Sage," Naruto muttered while keeping his fighting stance up.

"Kisame, pack up, we're leaving," Itachi said before burning a hole in said wall of pink flesh - the Toad Sage went over to analyze the strange black fire used for it while Naruto went to Sasuke.

"Yo, you okay?" Naruto asked the Uchiha he took out of the contest with a kick.

"That was... impossible. No one should be that skilled."

Naruto laughed. "I am, actually. And if you're here, then that means..."

**"DYNAMIC..."**

He sighed. "...guess he's not gonna be too far behind."

The flying kick that was meant for the Toad Sage was parried as Naruto diverted it with a flying kick of his own. As Naruto's suspicions were confirmed that it was indeed Might Guy who came to the rescue, Sasuke was in awe.

_These kicks... I think I've seen them before somewhere,_ he thought.

"Naruto?" the eccentric jonin asked as they landed. "Where did the most unyouthful perpetrators go?"

"They left," the three other ninja replied in unison.

"Wait, what happened, and why the heck are you two here anyway?" Naruto asked.

"He got Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke replied. "That... man got him pretty bad."

"...and you saw red and went after him just like that?" Jiraiya replied. "For someone with a reputation as a once-in-a-generation genius, you sure do a lot of dumb things."

"Unyouthful is more like it," Guy added. "It's best to not let your fire burn out of control."

Naruto scoffed. "That's neither 'dumb', nor 'unyouthful', that's just 'impulsive'. Goodness knows, shishou beat that crap out of me back then. Anyway, you guys best be heading back. And Sasuke - get better. You still owe me a spar."

Sasuke swallowed a lump in his throat, nodded, and followed Guy in returning to Konoha as quickly as possible, and he'd take the chance to get as much training in as possible, because if this was the kind of fighter Naruto was, he wouldn't stand a ghost of a chance despite the advanced training Kakashi-sensei put him through.

Come to think of it, he'd have a better chance against Gaara of the Sand after what he saw.

* * *

"What was I thinking?" Naruto continued as he walked onward with the Toad Sage in search of the next Hokage. "Seriously, what the **HELL** was I thinking?"

"Picking a fight with Uchiha Itachi?" Jiraiya asked. "**THE** Uchiha Itachi? S-Rank Bingo Book ranking, the infamous clan-slayer? Yeah, that wasn't one of your most prudent life decisions."

"No, I mean," Naruto answered, "he's more than skilled. He knows about the thing in my gut..."

_**...thing?**_

_Don't want this guy to get suspicious._

_**As I suspected.**_

"...so I'm pretty sure that was why he didn't cast any genjutsu on me. Still, though, his sleight-of-hand is enough to foil even seasoned genjutsu practitioners, damn near took everything in my book to just keep him at bay. Shishou warned me to save the stronger stuff only for emergencies."

"You didn't think your life would be in enough danger to use them?"

"Jiraiya-sama, do you really want a missing-nin - worse, a Sharingan wielder - like Itachi to have my more esoteric taijutsu techniques... copied?"

A very uncomfortable silence passed by between both of them after the Toad Sage gave the boy a solemn nod.

"How about I teach you a ninjutsu?" Jiraiya asked awkwardly.

"Yes, sir," Naruto replied in a similar awkward fashion, "that sounds good."

"Heard Sensei gave you some work to do over the month in the Chunin Exams back then, so here," the Sage added, throwing the boy a water balloon. "First step - pop the balloon."

"Okay."

* * *

Three days later, Naruto had gotten the first step of the unnamed technique down, but he had a few theoretical topics to discuss with the Toad Sage.

"Jiraiya-sama, I heard you were good at analyzing techniques," Naruto said as they were on the road and searching for who he said was his old teammate.

"Depends on what kind of techniques you're talking about, kid."

"Well," Naruto began, "the Third Hokage gave me an array of scrolls to study over the month between the Chunin Exam prelims and finals. I've gotten most of the basics down pat, but I'm having trouble so far with something."

"Trouble? What kind?"

"The kind of trouble regarding Wind element chakra."

"Wind? You?" Jiraiya asked, and had to let out a laugh.

"Anything funny, sir?" Naruto asked while the water balloon he was holding popped a leak.

"Private joke, bit of irony, nothing more," the Toad Sage answered. "Anyway, what problem are you talking about?"

"Well, sir," Naruto explained, dipping into his stash and grabbing another water balloon to practice with, "I can only summon the Wind element for now. It's the 'compressing it for a cutting edge' part I'm currently having trouble with. Compressing it enough for blunt force is not a problem for me at the moment, though."

Jiraiya shrugged. "That kind of thing only comes with experience. For you to jump to the second step of elemental manipulation so soon is an achievement in and of itself already. You do know some non-cutting Wind jutsu, right?"

"Only Daitoppa and Reppushou so far," Naruto wryly replied, "and none of them are any useful so far as practicing hand seals are concerned."

"Well, keep at it until you can use both of them with two seals tops, kid. For now, focus on your... wait, do you know the Shunshin jutsu yet?"

Naruto grinned. "First thing I learned after mastering the water walking exercise."

"Then all you need to do is work on mastery for the moment."

"Okay... whoa! I broke the balloon!" an excited Naruto said as he used several strands of chakra to mold a sphere that structurally disrupted the water balloon itself via the water within.

"Not bad," the Toad Sage said, carefully hiding his shock and observing that the boy should have broken the balloon with both hands some time back, but only chose to show it now when Naruto could mimic what he saw. Why would he want to do that? "Here's the next step, do the same to this rubber ball."

* * *

Four days into his rubber ball training, Naruto was in a clearing, sparring with a Kage Bunshin.

He had just finished doing a lot of thinking about the recent sparring session, and how his shishou would call him a foolish student in that unbelievably loud and over-the-top way of his.

Damn yeah, he WAS foolish.

He had tried to Shunshin his way out of a Daitoppa thrown by his clone, and ended up way on the other end of the clearing, nearly double the distance he wanted to travel.

_Wind jutsu?_

_Shunshin?_

_Increased movement?_

A light bulb turned on in Naruto's head.

_Oh yeah, I might have an idea there,_ he thought as he sat back down and meditated, retreating to the pseudospace of the seal...

...right in front of a young woman pouting at him.

"...I didn't like what you said about me."

"I offer my apologies, my lady, as it was the only way to avoid suspicion."

"...oh well, what's done is done. So I hear you have this great new idea."

He nodded.

"Do tell."

"Okay, I'll use this seal sequence to enchant my Shunshin jutsu with wind chakra," Naruto said, forming his hands in the required seals, "then I try to do this."

He first appeared behind the human guise of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, and then to her left.

"You made a clone?" the fox asked.

"No, but could it be a side effect?"

"Possibly," the fox replied. "I saw two of you for a split second, you changed direction during the technique, didn't you?"

"That's right."

"Well then, that IS new. Why not keep practicing here until it's second nature to you?"

"That's the plan. Point out and see if I made any mistakes, will you?"

"Sure thing. Beats watching you beat the crap out of yourself any day," the fox shot back.

"Oh, you," Naruto replied with a grin as his hands went through the seals and he zipped through the training hall.

"When you're done, do spar for awhile with me. Watching your misadventures can get boring."

"All right."

Outside the pseudospace, Jiraiya saw his would-be apprentice with concern, as the chakra he was generating while meditating had wisps of red in it - he had a paper seal to nullify that effect out and ready for use, but as he approached the boy, the red wisps had died away, leaving behind the telltale green-white wisps that was wind chakra between Naruto's usual light-blue chakra flow.

_What's he doing?_ the Toad Sage asked himself, and saw a bunch of rubber balls with holes in them arrayed near the meditating boy. _Ah, he's trying to gather himself to figure out how to do that step; the red chakra must have come out in his frustration._

_You're almost there, kid,_ Jiraiya added. _Just a bit more inspiration and you'll get it._

* * *

"You serious, Jiriaya-sama?" Naruto asked. "This is who they selected to be the next Hokage?"

"Yes."

"If it was that bad, why didn't you take the job?"

"I refused."

"Well... I kind of see why you did," Naruto mused, "look at her! Drinking her woes away like she'd been dragged all over the Elemental Countries on a kasha... twice!"

"Hey, don't speak that badly about my former teammate. There's a reason she was selected by the Hokage's old advisers, you know."

"Yeah," Naruto muttered, "she probably won the drinking contest."

"Try 'founder of modern medical ninjutsu'," the Toad Sage shot back. "And mind your manners. We're about to go and say hi."

"Okay," Naruto said, shrugging, "lead the way then, Jiraiya-sama."

* * *

"Hey, what's your beef with the old Hokage anyway?"

"Why are you so confrontational? Do you even know who you're talking to?"

"All I see is a down-on-her-luck old-timer who can't even face the past, let alone the present. Even takes all of it out on an old man who put himself right in the line of fire for his village, too."

"Well..." the obviously drunk (at one in the afternoon? Naruto asked himself) woman replied, "you saw him as that, but you didn't see him put many others... many... *hic* others... right in the middle of the fight, just... because... of that dumb Will of Fire he believed in..."

"My history isn't so great, but weren't your ancestors the ones who started this whole 'Will of Fire' thing?"

"Yeah, and it... it should just burn away. To nothing."

Jiraiya saw that the boy was this close to snapping, but after a few moments, his calm returned.

"Well, all things come to an end, I'll give you that," he said, thinking aloud, "but letting it end is just as bad as killing it. If you asked me, I'd rather go out in a blaze of glory rather than fade away... but even worse, when you have a chance to make a difference... you run away from your duty."

"Listen, kid... you haven't been through the wars the same way I did and you don't know what sensei had done in the name of what you call duty... so just learn to listen to your elders and shut up."

"Unfortunately, circumstances make it so that I can't," Naruto replied. "And since you just insulted the man I'm working for, honor requires that I exact an apology from you."

"You won't get one from me."

Naruto let out a pursing breath. This was expected. "How about I beat one out of you, then?"

The blonde lady stood shakily from the bar stool. "Now you're speaking my language."

"But mistress Tsunade..." her assistant said, but was cut short as she caught the dark-green coat her master tossed her way.

"Ladies first," Naruto said, opening the door for his opponent as she walked out of the door into the rapidly emptying street.

* * *

At the first crossing of attacks, Naruto immediately understood... or not.

_Sasuke had his whole clan ripped from him, and he was still up and about in Konoha, trying to put his life back together to prepare for his inevitable confrontation with his brother. This lady loses just two people, and reacts in a worse manner... but that's apples and oranges in the long run,_ Naruto thought. _But doesn't she get that when the protector's put on, your life is basically forfeit for the sake of what the village stands for?_

_Maybe the sadness must be blown away. I gotta try, at the very least..._

_**...I smell the stench of Senju from that woman.**_

_Hush, as she'll be my - and by extension, your - new boss._

_**I'll be put in thrall under another Senju?**_

_Not exactly. You do know that Toad Sage is a writer, right?_

_**Yeah, so?**_

_Well, think of it this way. I'll be the writer, and you'll be the ghost editor who only shows up in the book in code. How about that?_

_**Oh-ho-ho-ho. You may fight like a martial artist, but you can talk to a lady like a real ninja does. It's what I find so intriguing about you - despite all your openness to the world, you still have a subtlety all your own.**_

_I live to please, my lady._

He dived under the punch that would be thrown at his face, reared up for a telegraphed uppercut, saw the finger flick coming, and moments before the attack came, he flared his wind-element chakra as he released the technique...

...and his opponent gasped as her finger hit nothing but the hazy afterimage of the boy.

In those moments when he was unnoticed, Naruto tallied what he knew about his opponent's fighting style.

_She uses compressed chakra in pulses to augment her physical strength. Takes a damn lot of control to use, let alone use effectively... plus she's drunk as a skunk right about now, so that means either her control is a lot greater when she's both trained AND sober, or it doesn't matter whether she's drunk OR sober. Dammit._

_**There's your solution to your control problem, Naruto - all you need to do is convince her to return to Konoha and take up the Hokage's hat, and you're going to be one step closer to figuring out just exactly who you are...**_

He tightened his lips. Time to show this Senju Tsunade what the School was all about.

"Where are you?" she yelled in the middle of the dirt road, and with several bursts of wind chakra, Naruto flashed in front of his opponent.

"Right here," he said, rearing back his hand and encasing it in his own energies.

They threw their punches simultaneously, the pulse dispelling the shell he used to keep his technique stable... and a huge whoosh filled the empty streets as the chakra for Naruto's technique blasted outward.

"That works too," Naruto thought aloud.

"A shotgun-like attack. Interesting. I wonder how I'll further refine it-"

His musing was thoroughly interrupted by a punch that connected straight and true.

* * *

"Ugh... where am I?" Naruto asked as soon as his eyes opened. This was like one of those times he had to face off against his shishou to show what he had learned. Master Asia was the sort of fighter who let you show off your skills, only to counter them without skipping a beat.

"Great! You've awoken," Senju Tsunade's girl Friday said, beaming a smile at him.

"What time is it?"

"Just an hour or so past sunrise. You're pretty good," she continued, "nobody I've seen in recent time could take a punch from Shishou and emerge in one piece."

"Yeah, well, he can get to be a ham at times, but he's by far the best teacher I have," Naruto replied with a grin, his mind not completely there yet.

"I'm sure whoever taught you did. Come to think of it, does Might Guy still wear green?"

"Yep... wait a sec. You think Might Guy taught me?" Naruto asked, his mind quickly going back to action as the question shocked him awake. "He didn't, but my shishou is what you'd call a taijutsu master."

"With what I've seen? I'm sure. My name is Shizune."

"Uzumaki Naruto, chunin of Konoha. Where's Jiraiya-sama?"

"Downstairs, talking with mistress Tsunade."

He shook his head to clear the last cobwebs out. "How long was I out?"

"It's just the day after you fought mistress Tsunade, Naruto-kun."

"Well, that's just fine and dandy. Come on, I still have to convince your shishou to come back to the village."

"Um, that's going to be quite a tall order."

"Because she lost her brother... and her lover, your uncle Dan... I know the story. Jiraiya-sama told me on the way here."

"...well, if you knew, then why?"

"A fellow Konoha-nin of mine named Uchiha Sasuke lost nearly everything, and he's this close to up and leaving the village. The only thing that's keeping him in Konoha is the thought that he can gain power from some of us here - me included."

"Uchiha - wasn't that the clan..."

"...precisely. It doesn't look good that your shishou gets to do what she's been doing for just two people."

"You have a point."

"Thanks, Shizune-san... Jiraiya-sama! Good morning!"

"Mmmbrglh," groaned a head of gray hair slumped on a table in reply.

"Mphgrglb," moaned a head of blonde hair slumped on the same table close by.

"I forgot - these aren't morning people..." Naruto said. "You have my sympathies."

Shizune could only answer with a knowing nod.

* * *

"You're saying that brat studied under the Undefeated of the East?"

"It appears so, hime. What I saw when you two fought just confirmed my suspicions."

"But the Undefeated of the East is supposed to be just an urban legend!"

"Tsunade-san," Naruto announced upon seeing them at the cafe, "it's not a name, it's a title. Several others were successors to the name."

"And you're striving to take that name on for yourself?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto shook his head. "Shishou told me my heritage was important. Fact is, that's why he had me come back here after learning what I could from him. That, and I wasn't the only student Shishou trained during that time."

"Well, that explains my grandfather's stories about the Undefeated of the East," Tsunade answered. "But no, I'm still not taking the hat."

"Fine. How about we make this a bit more formal, then? A contest. If I win, you come back to Konoha and take the hat. If you win, you go and do whatever. How's that sound?"

"You're a cheeky little brat," Tsunade replied icily, "and I'm going to enjoy beating it right out of you. One week to prepare."

"More time than I'll need," Naruto replied with a grin, and walked towards the town's outskirts to continue training, oblivious to the Toad Sage freaking out.

* * *

"...so I heard you're still trying to get the last step of the Rasengan down," Jiraiya said.

"The what? Oh, you mean the jutsu that requires the water balloons and stuff. Yeah, I can do a working version of it," Naruto answered.

"So why aren't you challenging my old teammate yet?"

"I gave my word: a week is a week. Plus, I'm not adding this to the playbook until it's a perfect sphere. Besides..."

Naruto grinned. "...this isn't the only trump I have up my sleeve."

"Well, knowing what we do, you're going to need a lot of those."

"Shishou told me. Relax. I'm a lot tougher than you think."

* * *

"She's going to accept, right?" Naruto asked as day became night of the sixth day. "I mean, that bastard is the third wheel of your team, he's got some dirt on the both of you."

"Yes, he is our teammate, and you know how much Tsunade-hime loved Nawaki and Dan."

"I'm not too concerned about that. It's that boy Friday he has skulking around him. He feels a lot more dangerous than Orochimaru."

"Kabuto? He's a skilled medic-nin, but Shizune is, as well."

Naruto was in thought, going over and over the details of his encounter with Kabuto in the Forest of Death, and he shook his head as the actions didn't quite add up. "There's something there. Don't quite know what it is, only that it's gonna be trouble."

"Calm down, Naruto. You've gone even further than I thought. Last one to grasp as much in so little time was Minato, and he became Hokage soon after I taught him everything."

_**Yes, calm down.**_

Naruto nodded. "We'll see. By tomorrow, we'll see."

* * *

By the time they returned to Konohagakure, the Toad Sage, the new Hokage and her apprentice gave the blond chunin in their travel party a very wide berth.

"...you're going to have to give him special jonin after what he did, hime. Sheesh. Even I'm not so much of a fiendish genius as that kid."

"Tell me about it. He saw my phobia, put it in a sack of bricks, and hit me upside the head until I got rid of it. Even our old teammate had to back the heck off when he saw what happened."

"Shishou, just what did Naruto do when you ran into those criminals?"

"You know how I summon the Rasengan first and then use it?" Jiraiya asked. "The boy damn went outside the box and reversed the order. Damn it. I'm gonna have to be a vegetarian for some time after seeing that."

"He didn't even know about my hemophobia. Brat's gonna be a nightmare when he gets to full jonin. How soon do you think will it take before he gets a flee-on-sight order like his old man?" Tsunade asked.

"Undefeated of the East," Jiraiya muttered, "yeah, the name fits."

And they walked home to Konoha after that, with Tsunade taking the Hokage's hat after what she saw the boy do.

Without a doubt in her mind, she was sure that the score was now even when Naruto told her the story about how his arsenal crapped out against Orochimaru's array of ninjutsu.

And he did it by turning that glasses-wearing psycho into chunky salsa - _wait, Jiraiya's Rasengan was supposed to be blue, so why did the boy use a white version..._

That was all she needed to convince Jiraiya to put up a dog and pony show for them to return to Konoha - it wouldn't do for either of them to be completely disturbed by the power Naruto had now, and the power he'd have in the future.

Though by the time they were halfway back, her apprehension turned into cackling, evil laughter as she made a catalog of all Konoha's enemies.

They thought it was safe to come out and play since the Yondaime was already gone... **they had no idea.**

Chapter 10 - **END**

* * *

**Author notes:**

_What's the relationship dynamic between Naruto and the fox these days anyhow?_  
They're classmates, colleagues, and rivals. As noted earlier, when Naruto explained about his studies under the School, he wasn't the only student the Undefeated of the East took on.

* * *

**Omake:**

"I will finally be the ultimate Hokage! The Undefeated of the East, West, South, North and Center - I will become **SUPER HOKAGE** and be champion of all, dattebayo! **HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**"

"East?"

"West?"

"South?"

"North?"

"Center?"

_**"SUPER HOKAGE?"**_

* * *

**Technique List:**

_Fuuton: Shunshin no Jutsu Kai - Zanzou (Wind Release: Modified Body Flicker Technique - Afterimage)_  
A C-rank Supplementary ninjutsu. Uzumaki Naruto using his current handicap with wind-element chakra in conjunction with the Shunshin no Jutsu. By combining the two techniques, the requirement of a clear path from point to point is removed, allowing the user to abruptly change directions even in mid-technique using timed bursts of wind-element chakra, leaving an afterimage in the wake of the burst.

_Fuuton: Reppu Rengoku Shou (Wind Release: Fist of the Violent Gale)_  
A B-rank Offensive ninjutsu. While Uzumaki Naruto learned the Rasengan, he integrated the steps to acquiring the technique into his repertoire of Wind-element jutsu, and the Reppu Rengoku Shou is the result. Instead of projecting the winds created by the basic Reppushou jutsu, he instead keeps the wind-element chakra stable within a spherical matrix of chakra placed over his hands, much like a pair of boxing gloves. As a result, his punching power increases tremendously. This technique can also be categorized as a B-Rank Supplementary Nintaijutsu, as a taijutsu specialist (like Naruto) will see the most utility out of this technique.

_Fuuton: Reppuhoudan (Wind Release: Gale Cannon Bullet)_  
A B-rank offensive ninjutsu. The chakra matrix for the previous technique can be dispelled to release a powerful force of wind in close quarters, much like a shotgun's blast.

_Fuuton: Shura Senpuu Ken (Wind Release: War God's Whirlwind Fist)_  
A-Rank Offensive Ninjutsu. The upgraded version of the Reppu Rengoku Shou. A condensed tornado of swirling wind chakra encases the user's forearm, drastically improving both punching power and blowing anyone from the side away, allowing for a degree of protection for one side when executing a frontal assault, as the whirling wind chakra can be used both offensively and defensively. This can also be categorized as an A+-Rank Supplementary Nintaijutsu technique.


	11. From Student to Teacher

_disclaimer:_ Naruto and Mobile Fighter G Gundam are not mine.

_foreword:_ This story is kind of a testing ground for some of the elements I prefer to put in my stories. You'll know them when you see them - if you like them, thanks; if you don't, do feel free to tell me what you'd like to modify in said element to make it better.

With that settled, let's move on.

**Look, the East is burning red!**

* * *

_**Naruto: Moeagare Toushi**_

**Chapter 11: From Student To Teacher**

* * *

"Okay, brat. Mind explaining to me how you turned a jonin-level opponent to paste with a technique you just worked on for the past few weeks?" Jiraiya began as he and Naruto were at a training ground.

"Many things," his supposed apprentice answered, though at the time Naruto was mentally leafing through the memories of the past seven days.

_A week had passed since the Godaime Hokage had been appointed, and the day after her inaugural address, Naruto and his jonin-sensei Mitarashi Anko were called to her office._

_"Mitarashi-san, I'm placing you off your mentor detail to Uzumaki," the blonde Hokage began. "Here are the papers, I'm sure you and your fellow jonin already know what happened and why this needs to be done."_

_"Yes, ma'am," the newly-confirmed jonin answered._

_"And you, little troublemaker," Tsunade said, turning to the chunin, "in light of your exceptional combat feats and capabilities, I'm giving you a promotion to special jonin as a taijutsu-spec. May the Will of Fire guide your way... you'll both need it, kids."_

_Naruto saluted smartly, and his eyes twinkled as he took yet another step in discovering who he was._

"...But a lot of it is kind of plain and simple," Naruto finished, casually forming a Rasengan in his hand.

"You managed to reach that level of mastery in that little time?"

"Is that too hard to believe? I did use the Shadow Clone trick, but a lot of this is from Shishou's teachings and philosophy applied to chakra itself."

"Just some applied teachings and a few Shadow Clones? I find that hard to believe."

"You'd better believe it... I remember you saying that the guy who made this wanted to make it an elemental attack, didn't he?"

"Yes, the Yondaime wanted to add elemental chakra to the mix..." and then Jiraiya's eyes widened. "...wait a second, so that's why your Rasengan was white! You added the damn Fuuton element to it! No wonder they'll be requiring several D-rank missions to wipe that Kabuto fellow off the forest floor."

"Not just that, Jiraiya-sama," Naruto said. "You remember that training technique you asked me to do?"

"Yeah, the water balloon, rubber ball, and balloon tricks?"

Naruto nodded.

"Do them with elemental chakra."

Jiraiya palmed his face. So obvious, and it took a guy who spent most of his formative years OUT of the Elemental Countries to point it out. Out of the box, indeed. What Minato had conceived was a Rasengan endowed with elemental chakra. This kid skipped steps two and three and went straight to making a Rasengan **OUT OF** elemental chakra.

"Damn it," the Toad Sage said, frustrated at letting something so simple slip past him, "No wonder you blindsided him. He was expecting a run-of-the-mill Rasengan and prepared for that, and not that thing you used. Plus, that 'summon the Rasengan from inside target' variant? Very effective, though rather brutal."

"That guy gave me the creepiest vibes out of everyone I've run into so far, even worse than Orochimaru and Uchiha freaking Itachi, if you would believe it. Shishou told me to never hesitate, so I put the bastard away. It helps that he was underestimating me up to the end."

"Good thought. So, when doing a fire-natured Rasengan, should you use the same objects in the exercise?"

Naruto shook his head no. "I don't know, you've been using the Rasengan longer than I have, maybe you should just rely on your chakra memory instead?"

"Chakra memory... yes, I think that's how it's supposed to be done. By the way, you do realize that alongside a confirmed kill on that Kabuto fellow, your Rasengan technique got you the promotion, right?"

"Yep."

"So what else do you want to know?"

"Uzushiogakure doesn't exist anymore, right?" he asked, the Academy texts surprisingly dry on material related to the Uzumaki Clan and the reason Konoha's symbol was a spiral within a leaf.

"Since the Second War."

"Who was my mother?"

"Your mother? Her name was Uzumaki Kushina. Nice girl, though she could get rather violent at times."

Naruto chuckled a bit at that.

"Got a picture of her?"

"Yeah. Come on, I'll show you your mom. She was a beauty."

After showing Naruto a picture of his mother, both master and apprentice had gone to where her mother usually went - apartment, training grounds, Ichiraku's Ramen... and the Memorial Stone.

He had asked Jiraiya for a moment alone, and after an hour, had returned with his eyes rimmed red, but his gaze harder than ever.

"Jiraiya-sama," he said, bowing deeply, "thank you for giving me a name and a face for my mother."

"It's no problem, kid. What do you want to do now?"

"Do? There are things I still need to accomplish. My father's identity, for one. Preparing for Orochimaru, Itachi, and those other creeps. There will be stronger ninja than them. I have to prepare."

"Well, I won't be leaving for spy duty in a week or two - want to train with me for awhile?"

"It would be my honor, sir."

* * *

The day after that, a stealth attack on Konohagakure came - no one was injured, but a few buildings caught fire as a ninjutsu battle raged in the streets for several minutes.

By the time the dust settled, several genin of Otogakure were killed and/or critically wounded.

The reason for the attack would only be found out months later, to Konoha's consternation.

* * *

"You sure you don't have spymaster duty to do, Jiraiya-sama?" Naruto asked as the two finished another sparring session that morning; the Toad Sage had an unorthodox fighting style he found enjoyable to put to the test.

"Not really. With a regime change like this, if I'm seen out of town, it never paints a good picture for anyone not from Konoha."

"Fair enough," Naruto answered, putting two and two together quickly. "So how goes your Flame Rasengan?"

"Pretty good, though I need the Hokage or her secretary to patch up my burned hands every night."

"That's good to hear. So what's this I heard about you wanting to teach me another thing?"

"You already have half of your inheritance, so here's the other," Jiraiya said dramatically (_not as over-the-top as Shishou - but he gets points for trying,_ Naruto thought) as he unfurled a scroll. "The Toad Summoning Contract!"

Signing the scroll and gauging the amount of chakra needed for a goodly-sized summon was the easy part - what had happened then, Jiraiya told the new Hokage, had gotten his jaw to crash to the floor.

Naruto was focusing rather intensely and when he finally brought his bloodied hand down for the technique, Jiraiya could see wisps of white in the blue aura of his chakra...

"...Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A puff of smoke, and there was no one there.

**"Where are you looking?"** an odd voice asked; when both Naruto and Jiraiya swung their gazes heavenward, there - on top of the tallest tree - was a frog wearing a martial artists' gi.

"Gamakaze?" Jiraiya asked himself. "No one's been able to summon him, not even Minato-"

**"So who summons the Toad of the Burning East?"** it bellowed.

"I did," Naruto answered, grinning at the toad.

**"Then prepare yourself!"** it shouted, getting into a battle stance leaping forward with tremendous speed, a webbed hand clenched in a fist. _**"The School of the Undefeated of the East!"**_

Naruto blocked the blow and was sent skidding backward by the force, but behind his cross-guard, his eyes were twinkling. Planting his feet before rushing forward in a burst of chakra, the boy answered with _**"The Winds of the King!"**_ as he threw a punch of his own.

_**"Zenshin!"**_ The frog parried it easily with a punch of his own and retaliated with a vicious flurry of strikes.

_**"Keiretsu!"**_ Naruto blocked all the frog's incoming strikes with ease.

_**"Tempa Kyouran!"**_ both of them yelled as their strikes parried one another's.

Human fist met amphibian as Jiraiya was treated to a most spectacular show: a tidal wave, burning flames, and crackling lightning while Naruto and his summons yelled out the final line of the Greeting.

_**"LOOK! THE EAST IS BURNING RED!"**_

**"Your very first summon, huh?"** the toad asked after the light show had faded. **"I am Touhou Gamafuhai."**

"Senpai," Naruto replied, bowing gracefully to his elder in the arts. "Uzumaki Naruto."

**"So, Uzumaki Naruto, how is the old man doing?"** Gamafuhai asked.

"Shishou dropped me off here about seven months ago," Naruto answered. "He must have gone elsewhere... told me I was done training under him."

**"He did,"** the toad answered. **"The remaining extent of your learning must come from experience. Then and only then can you truly understand and use the Succession Technique. Jiraiya-sama! I must thank you for bringing a fellow practitioner to the tribe of the Toads... excuse me, Jiraiya-sama, what's your face looking like that for?"**

* * *

"So what's the story with Gamafuhai-senpai?" Naruto asked while master and apprentice were having dinner at Ichiraku's Ramen. "He seemed happy to be summoned, but not as part of the Toad Summoning Contract. Kept asking me if I wanted to make him his personal summons."

"Well, he was originally groomed to be the next Toad Sage, but left home to become a martial artist," Jiraiya answered. "Kind of ticked off his old man something large. Anything else, you'll have to ask Gamakaze-er, Gamafuhai's father."

"Sure thing... but how am I gonna do that?"

"You'll have to focus on his name when summoning - call on Fukasaku when using the summoning technique."

"All right, sensei," Naruto answered. "Say, what do you do when you call for breaks? I kind of make notes on my ninjutsu and stuff..."

The Toad Sage never did answer that question as something began to SHIFT around them. Power began to flow around Jiraiya as he stood from his spot and walked out to the street, and Naruto could sense that it wasn't just chakra he was flaring.

"...what's going on?" Naruto asked, and had to look at his hands, as blood began to flow from his clenched fists. "What the hell?" he added, as his fingernails had lengthened considerably.

"You're unconsciously channeling the Nine-Tails' chakra, Naruto," Jiraiya answered, and his apprentice's red eyes narrowed before closing.

He was back in the dojo as soon as his eyes opened back up.

"What's going on?"

"We're in a wide-area, high-power genjutsu," the red-haired girl meditating explained without missing a beat. "As long as I'm feeding you a trickle of my power, the genjutsu should not affect you."

"Thanks."

"Hurry up and deal with what's outside. I can only keep this up for so long."

"Roger that."

Most of the red aura around Naruto had subsided, but his eyes were still red and his whisker marks were still more pronounced as he left the seal space.

"You found the source, Jiraiya-sama?" he asked.

"The Kurama Clan territory," the Toad Sage answered. "Everyone not ensnared by the illusion is doing damage control, apparently..."

**"Toad Sage,"** a slug that appeared on Jiraiya's shoulder declared, **"the Mistress asks you to resolve this problem."**

"Acknowledged," Jiraiya replied, "Send back the notice that I have Special Jonin Uzumaki with me."

**"Yes, sir,"** the slug said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Master and apprentice nodded at each other before tearing towards the source via Shunshin.

* * *

"Be that as it may," the man currently battling the Toad Sage said, "even if my life is forefeit here, I will support the Kurama Clan head to the very end."

"I've been waiting several decades to say this, Unkai," Jiraiya retorted as he dodged a volley of thrown shuriken, "but you're a moron. This whole affair drips with stupidity."

"Is that so?" Unkai asked, triggering a trap that sent trees falling toward Jiraiya's location - he didn't have to move, but kicked them aside, only to tumble forward, evading a sucker attack thrown while he was otherwise occupied.

"I know so. Clan stupidity is to be expected, what with the lot of you practicing inbreeding and all, but this takes the cake!"

"If Yakumo wants Konoha gone, then it is my duty to assist her."

"You doddering old fool, do you really think your niece wants that? I read the files, what she wants more than anything is to be a Konoha ninja."

"And your fool of a teacher and the woman she trusted to teach her deprived her of that dream!" bellowed the Kurama Clan steward, blowing a stream of fire at his enemy, only to end up torching a log. He was about to continue the attack by triggering more traps, but tripped as he saw the ground under him slowly turning into mush, his body quickly sinking.

Some distance away Jiraiya released his technique before his opponent submerged into the Swamp of the Underworld completely.

"Sheesh," he told no one in particular before a large burst of chakra nearly bowled him over. "Crap, the girl's Ido is powering up! Where the hell is it getting all that chakra from?"

After checking his reserves, the Toad Sage made sure to keep Unkai confined properly for the incoming ANBU before making his way toward his apprentice - hoping Naruto was holding his own.

* * *

"You may have the will of the darkness," Naruto gritted out as he continued charging headlong into the monster crafted by Yakumo's subconscious, the incomplete Rasengan he made dissipating the beam of chakra fired at him. As soon as the beam died down, he dispelled the Rasengan, but was still hurtling towards the construct with his palm out.

"...but I have these shining fingers!" he finished as by a mental command, Naruto called on the remaining energy of the Nine-Tails to gather into his right hand as a circle with a spiral within - the sigil of Uzushiogakure - blazed to life on top of Naruto's right hand.

"Finishing Strike!" Naruto yelled. **"Spiral Finger!"**

The blazing red hand connected with the Ido's head, stopping it in its tracks, and the orange chakra began to form a haze around it. "...In the name of the Clan of Whirling Tides and the School of the Undefeated of the East..." Naruto chanted, "begone."

As soon as the flash of orange light subsided, the monster was gone and a girl around Naruto's age was slumped on the ground unconscious.

* * *

The next day began bright and early, and Uzumaki Naruto was currently wrestling with some unnerving thoughts... but unfortunately, those thoughts had to be put on the back burner, for he and his sensei Jiraiya had to report the mission results to the Hokage.

After shaking his head dry after his morning shower, he shrugged as he put on his sleeveless dark gray bodysuit and chunin vest in preparation for the day ahead.

_I'll get to the bottom of this, all on my lonesome - if that's what it takes,_ he thought as he locked his apartment door and took to the rooftops toward the Hokage tower.

After submitting the requisite paperwork, the Toad Sage and his apprentice were called to the Hokage's office, where the Fifth was looking over her two predecessor's notes and scratching her head. That should have been done better, she told herself as she finished her perusal. "Okay, little troublemaker," she began, looking over at Naruto and Jiraiya, "do you have any idea what that little technique of yours did?"

"It defeated the Ido," Naruto answered.

"What else?"

Naruto shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

"You did read up on Onmyoton jutsu, right?" she asked.

"A little," Naruto answered with a quick nod.

"Jiraiya, do go in more detail to our young special jonin here about what just happened last night," the Hokage said, and thus the Toad Sage did, explaining to Naruto that because of the way the Nine-Tails was sealed within him, he had an imbalance of Yang chakra in his system... which probably weakened or destroyed the Ido construct outright when he used that special technique of his.

Just as he was winding his explanation down, Shizune walked in the room. "Shishou, something strange has happened to Kurama Yakumo... her physical constitution has improved to a remarkable degree... um, you don't seem too surprised."

"Sigh," the Hokage replied, "this is what tends to happen when yin and yang-based techniques mix together... you!"

She pointed an accusing finger at the blond special Jonin.

"I'm assigning you a one-month B-rank mission, which may or may not be relevant during your jonin trials in the near future," Tsunade said with disdain as she hurriedly scrawled on a mission scroll. "You are to bring genin Kurama Yakumo up to speed on her taijutsu skills, to be appraised at the end of the month."

Both Jiraiya and Naruto's jaws dropped in tandem with the announcement.

"But hime, I'm not done training him - " Jiraiya began.

"Hokage-sama, I'm not entirely fit to teach someone from scratch - " Naruto answered in tandem with the Toad Sage.

**"ENOUGH!"** she bellowed. "You keep making unnecessary complications of things, and as such, I have to redouble my efforts to make sure Unkai doesn't put any more 'revolutionary' lines of thought into his niece's pretty little head. Sensei has dropped the ball one too many times here, and I'll be damned if I let this one by me."

"Hokage-sama," Naruto said, suddenly remembering something. "May I start tomorrow?"

"You can begin as soon as she's released from the hospital," Tsunade replied, "which is early tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," he said, bowing ceremonially, and then turning to his master. "Jiraiya-sama, forgive my impetuousness, but I must take today off. I need to see to something... personal."

"Family matters?"

"You can say that," Naruto said, and the three other ninja in the office easily picked up on his clenching fists.

"Go right ahead, kid," the Toad Sage replied. "Run by me some afternoons after training that genin Yakumo, I still have a few tricks left to teach you."

"Yes, sir," and with a hand sign and a flutter of wind, Naruto left the office.

"A Fuuton variation of the Shunshin?" the Hokage and her assistant asked, jaws agape at the technique they witnessed.

Jiraiya smirked. _Ever the unpredictable one, Naruto - you really are your parents' son._

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto hurried to the furthest training ground he could get to - taking to the rooftops and using Shunshin.

Several minutes later, he was at one of the larger grounds, a clearing for which teams of eight usually practiced their synergy.

He took a seat in the grass and began to mediate...

...and he was in the dojo, where the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was seated and waiting for him.

"I'm sure you have a great deal of questions to ask, Naruto... so ask away."

He answered with a flurry of strikes that she likewise parried blow for blow.

"You seem angry."

Another exchange of blows, but Naruto was still silent. The Nine-Tails thus tried to feel her opponent out through his fists, and what she felt was confusion and a touch of anger.

"What's wrong? Your blows lack grace. Tell me, why do you gaze at me so hatefully? We have been civil ever since Shishou taught us that if we cannot work with each other, we should at least try to get along."

"Answer me this, Nine-Tailed Demon Fox," Naruto replied, venom dripping with every emphasized word, **"why are you wearing my mother's face?"**

* * *

By the time the Toad Sage found his student in the furthest training ground in Konoha, the wisps of orange chakra radiating from the meditating had turned to streamers.

_Sheesh,_ he thought as he whipped out a suppression seal, _the kid's really pissed off... but is he resisting the Nine-Tails' influence, or going along with it? This much released should cover his whole body._

Meanwhile, within the seal, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox pulled back her would-be attack and shrugged. "It's complicated," she answered wistfully.

"As complicated as the fact that you only have half your chakra with you?" Naruto continued to ask, to which she answered with a nod. "That, and it's a safeguard of the seal... I take on the form of my previous jailor."

At that admission, rage so very quickly left Naruto's eyes. "My mother... my mother... was your previous host?"

Another nod.

"What the hell?"

"...Don't be shocked into charging in headfirst into this again," the fox replied, "why do you think the Toad Sage and the Senju told you this?"

Naruto was frozen in his tracks. "I... I rose to Chunin after the invasion... was promoted to special jonin after driving the snake off..." he muttered, "...so if I make it to full jonin... I'd know who my father was?"

The fox nodded, and shifted into a similar-looking person, but this time, instead of a brawler, the fighting stance the fox carried had the trappings of royalty to it.

"...Yes... and you must know that the one who held me prison before your mother... Her name is Uzumaki Mito."

"...why are you telling me this?"

The fox sighed. "A bitter twist of fate started all this," she said, "but I understood. Why they held me within them so deeply," the fox sighed as she shifted back to Uzumaki Kushina's form.

"Should I be sealed into a new host, I will appear in your guise," she continued. "Such is the contract I willingly signed to enjoy the smallest of privileges within this prison... why do you look so surprised? Human sacrifices are usually blood-related."

"It's just..."

"...I am also unable to give as much help to you as I want..." she whispered, her stance slackening, "but you seem to have adapted well enough to it."

"I come here to get answers, and end up with more questions," Naruto said wistfully, after the hostility in the dojo had abated. "My lady, I..."

She let out one of those "noblewoman laughs". "I only let you call me that because you saw me as such."

"Really?" Naruto asked incredulously.

A nod.

"So what else should I call you?"

"You're not going to get that from me that easily," she said, shifting into the form of the previous jinchuriki, "you need to defeat me first, and my win-loss record against you currently stands at twenty wins, no losses and forty-two draws."

The jinchuriki gave his tenant a genuine smile before letting out a grumble. "You're always like that," he said, but his eyes were twinkling at his rivalry with the being sealed within him renewed.

After the fox had taken on her "Mito" guise, she just chuckled. "But of course... do not forget what I am - demon foxes are cunning... **ohohohohohoho!**" she said, opening her fan to cover her face, and the echoes of her "ladylike" laughter remained with Naruto all the way to his first few moments back outside the seal's space...

* * *

Naruto's eyes opened with disbelief to see that the sun was already high in the sky.

_A few hours? I spent less than half an hour in the seal! What gives?_

_**Your emotional state also affects the seal. You know this.**_

_Tch, remind me again to not be all wound up when talking to you inside the seal._

_**But of course, my warden. Ohohohohoho!**_

He palmed his face, stood up, brushed himself off, and went back off toward the Konoha library - he had a lead on who he was: the Uzumaki clan.

As he took to the rooftops, he brought out his Uzushiogakure forehead protector and thought about what he was going to do upon discovering the truth of his origins... and why his mother would choose to seal the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox into him...

* * *

The next day came after Naruto took an afternoon to read about the woman named Uzumaki Mito... and a night of soul-searching after he had his mind blown.

_Senju Mito nee Uzumaki._

The wife of the first Hokage.

His bloodline could subjugate even the strongest of the tailed beasts, so they said, and he used it to its utmost in the battle that created the Valley of the End.

Afterward, it seemed, his wife took in the weakened tailed beast into herself, and passed it onto her granddaughter Kushina...

...who passed it onto her son.

Uzumaki Naruto.

He had only begun to try lifting the weight of that revelation had.

Academy classes said that the Fourth Hokage had defeated the Nine-Tailed Fox, but it seemed... that the Fourth did it in tandem with Uzumaki Kushina, to pull it off.

Was it tradition?

Deep within the seal, the tailed beast thrashed in its cage, roaring in pain as it tried to access the parts of its yin chakra that had the memories of the night it was sealed into Naruto, only to fail as the seal triggered each and every time, inflicting pain beyond any known mortal comprehension to it.

The beast gritted its teeth and thought about this being a blessing in disguise. For one, Naruto's punches were like love taps from a child compared to this...

And thus, the Jinchuriki took to the Kurama Clan grounds to begin his latest long-term mission...

* * *

The morning sun was well on its way to its zenith when Naruto saw a brown-haired girl ushered into the sitting room where he had waited for some time.

"I remember you," Kurama Yakumo began as soon as her uncle left them to carry on their business. "Your eyes. They were glowing as you attacked the Ido."

"Yep," Naruto answered, "that was me."

"They say my physical condition has improved greatly, and I can no longer hear the voice of Ido."

"Again, all me."

"I am wondering why Hokage-sama would entrust my education to a chunin my own age?"

Naruto coughed. "Special jonin, actually."

"Ah," Yakumo replied, understanding quickly. "You are here to train me, are you not?"

"That's what the Hokage set me up to do, it seems."

"I'll finish training under you, and then get cleared for duty under a team?"

Another nod from Naruto. "Look, I'm really not that caught up on my shinobi clan etiquette classes, so why don't we have the interview while we go on a jog?"

Yakumo's head tilted quizzically at that question. "Do you mean to say that you have not yet been given your clan's writings? Unkai told me that an Uzumaki would be training me, but I always thought that Uzumaki specialized in sealing and solid chakra constructs..."

"I'm a taijutsu spec," Naruto replied, "so not only am I the most qualified ninja to get your taijutsu up to speed, this is also a chance for me to learn some genjutsu."

Yakumo smiled. "All right. Wait here - I shall put on my genin uniform... Naruto-sensei."

She was answered with a thousand-watt smile as she headed to her room to change, shaking her head all the way.

_I find it hard to believe the same ninja who defeated the Ido and the buffoon before me are the same person... but Kurenai-sensei once said, appearances can be deceiving,_ she thought. _Still, he was able to help me, so I'll suspend my judgment for now._

_The whisker marks he has are rather cute, too...  
_

The genin giggled as she shut the door to her room.

Chapter 11 - **END.**

* * *

**Afterword:** Piling powerup upon powerup on your selected character doesn't make you a good writer. For fuck's sake, make progress natural - and either make the power come at a price, make it more difficult to attain, or give the enemy something proportional. Frodo = lightsaber :: Sauron = Death Star.

_Next chapter:_ Yakumo and Naruto get to know each other more, some peaceful days pass by, until Naruto is shown just how much more he needs to improve - even when working in tandem with the Nine-Tails.


End file.
